The Story of Lily
by Bella5
Summary: FINISHED!!*This is the story of a girl, treated horribly until her eleventh birthday, then shown how wonderful life can be. This is a story of the ups and downs of life, love, and the ties that bond. This is the story of a girl. This is the story of Lily.
1. Prologue:And So Begins the Story of Lily

I know, I know, this story has been done over SO MANY TIMES, its not even funny, but I don't care. I decided I would give it a try because I have read the book so many times, I could recite it too you. Seriously. So anyway, here it goes! Hope you like it! I apologize about the WAY unoriginal title, but I'm horrible with them! Please review!

Disclaimer: Everything you do not recognize is mine, like Aunt Violet. Everything else belongs to the goddess among us mere men and women, JK Rowling. We are not worthy. 

**The Story of Lily**

Chapter One: And So Begins the Story of Lily 

_Prologue_

_Lily Carolyn Evans was born on a dark and dreary day. The attitude in the house was very oppressive, not what you would expect, since a baby had just been born._

_There should have been laughter, beaming faces, and a feeling of joy everywhere._

_But there wasn't._

_Lily's mother, Iris Marie Evans, lived long enough to name her new baby before leaving for heaven._

_Iris had been sick for many days before Lily's arrival, and was very weak and pale on the day of Lily's birth. Her husband – rich, charming, and loving Edward Evans – had pleaded with her to stop the baby by getting an abortion, but Iris had stoutly refused, saying that she would rather die than kill her own child. After giving birth successfully to the already redheaded child, her health plunged drastically, and, just moments after delivering Lily, Iris Evans passed away, leaving a grieving father and four-year old daughter. _

_Edward, maddened by grief, buried himself in his work as the head of a large drill company in __London__, and was rarely seen at home.  _

_The youngest daughter, Lily, lived under horrible conditions. Edward only brought her out when he had to, and forced her to live in the old barn on their property. He allowed one maid – a young, kindhearted woman – to care for her by making her clothes, feeding, and living with her in the barn. However, once Edward found out the maid was teaching Lily to read and write, he fired her immediately and forced Lily to work for Petunia exclusively._

_The young girl never thought, as she mended her own clothes, did her own laundry, and bathed in the nearby lake, that she would ever do anything but work for her father and sister. She never thought she had anything special, or would mean anything to anyone except the young maid who loved her like a child. Little did she know, she would be all she _didn't_ think, and more. _

_And so begins the story of Lily. _

~*~*~*~*

"UP! GET UP NOW, GIRL!" 

Lily sat bolt upright, breathing hard. She pressed her small hand to her heart and slowly got off her "bed" – a mattress made of hay inside an empty sack of horse feed – with her heart still thumping from the rude awakening by the cook. 

"I'm coming!" she yelled hurriedly, her voice hoarse from sleep. She glanced through one of the many cracks in the old barn wall and saw a faint pink tinge coming from the horizon. "Oh no!" she moaned to herself, "It's already light outside! Petunia is going to kill me!"

The girl reached for her old, tattered dress and a clean pair of underwear, noting that she only had one clean pair left, and made a mental note to do her laundry. She removed her also tattered white nightdress and put on her clothes, and then went over to her basin of clean water from the hose and cleaned her teeth and face. She dried her face on one of the two old towels she had, and then walked to the ladder. She leapt down it with practiced ease and ran to the huge mansion known by everyone as the Evans' House. As she was running, she realized with a start that today was July sixteenth – her eleventh birthday. _Oh, well. Another one gone, she thought morosely. _

The small redhead jogged through a back door that led to the kitchens. Once she entered the main kitchen, the cook shoved Petunia's breakfast in her arms and practically pushed her out the door. Lily climbed the back stairs and entered Petunia's huge bedroom. She released a breath that she wasn't aware she was holding – her sister was dead asleep – and quietly placed Petunia's breakfast on her table in the center of the room. She lit a fire in the grate and cleaned out Petunia's hairbrush, which rested on her large vanity. Lily looked up from placing the hairbrush back where it belonged and straight into the large mirror.

A pale, freckled face stared back at her, framed by dark red curls that tumbled down to her mid-back. It had gone below her knees, but Lily was able to steal the kitchen scissors and cut it to her shoulders, but that was a few months ago. She had rosy lips and flushed cheeks that were dirty because she hadn't been able to visit the lake and bathe lately.

But perhaps Lily's most startling feature was her bright green eyes that sparkled like precious jewels in the light. 

A rustle from the king-sized bed startled her from her gazing and she quickly backed away from the mirror. She pretended to be poking at the fire.

"LILY!" Petunia screeched. Lily jumped and dropped the rot-iron poker merely centimeters from her toes. "STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE!" she roared.

"Sorry!" Lily said hastily. The last thing she wanted was to annoy her snobby sister.

"Well, now that you've woken me up," Petunia snapped as she got up from her bed, "I might as well eat my breakfast." Her limp blonde hair was tousled from sleep, making it look like she was a lion with a mane. Lily giggled suddenly.

Petunia jerked her head up from drinking her tea. "What's so funny?" she snapped.

"N – nothing, Petunia," replied Lily with a straight face.

"TELL ME!" she yelled.

"Erm," Lily said, swallowing, getting her giggles under control, "It's your hair."

Petunia jerked her head around to face her mirror and she shrieked.

"_Lily! Brush my hair _now_!"_

Lily exhaled and walked slowly to her as Petunia settled herself onto the cushioned seat in front of her vanity, and began brushing Petunia's thin hair.

"Dad is coming home today," Petunia said conversationally, leaning forward and rubbing at a newly-formed spot on her forehead. 

"Oh." Lily didn't know he was gone.

"Yes, he went to visit Aunt Violet, and she's coming home with him to stay for a little bit," Petunia said nonchalantly.

"Who's that?" Lily asked, trying to untangle a piece of Petunia's hair.

"Oh, don't you remember? A long time ago when we had to clean you up and dress you properly?" she sneered.

Lily vaguely remembered dressing up for some woman whom she couldn't remember.

"Yes, she's quite young, only twenty-two last time she visited, that means now she must be twenty-five or six. Anyway, Dad told me I'm to find some decent clothing for you and you're to take a bath and fix your hair."

Lily's heart leapt. "When is she coming?"

"Some time this afternoon, I think. I didn't like her much, she's a little strange I think…but at least she wears the latest styles, plus she is extremely rich." Petunia sounded as though this made up for her being "a little strange". "I'll dress and shower first - you lay out clothes for me, then get Mary to go to the attic and get some of my clothes for you from when I was, oh, lets say, eight?" she smirked at Lily and flounced into her bathroom to take a shower.

Lily sighed and looked into the mirror again. She did indeed look to be around eight years old. She sighed again and went to find Mary.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been about three years since Lily had taken a proper shower, with hot water and real soap, and it was heaven to her. She then was dressed in a little pink, polka-dotted tea dress from when Petunia was eight – even though Lily secretly thought she must have been younger when she wore the dress – it was fraying and smelled musty from the attic. However, it felt wonderful to have her hair done by someone instead of vice-versa, and when Mary was done drying Lily's hair with a hair dryer, the effect was amazing. Lily looked much like her eleven-year-old self, even if she was too thin and not quite tall enough.

The sound of a car coming up the driveway meant Aunt Violet had arrived. Lily raced down the stairs, the _front_ stairs, she was pleased to note, with Petunia sticking her nose up in the air and walking daintily behind, dressed in the latest style – a mini-dress and pearls. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Lily hesitated. The great front door was only a few steps away…what would her father do when he saw her?

She didn't have time to ponder this further because at that moment, the door was flung open and a tall man with reddish hair entered. He was smiling jovially and holding a suitcase, which he gave to the butler. "Princess? Where's my-" He stopped dead when he saw not one child before him, but two. A blonde woman entered behind him and smiled at the girls.

Edward Evans cleared his throat. "Hello, Lily."

Lily replied in a small voice, "Hello, Father."

He quickly moved to Petunia and smiled at her, a true smile, and hugged her tightly.

Aunt Violet was indeed dressed in the latest style, just as Petunia had said. She had on a pink sleeveless dress and a scarf covering the top of her hair with large sunglasses over her eyes. Her blond hair was shoulder-length and flipped out. She was even prettier then the former American First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, whose style she was imitating.

Aunt Violet was a smart woman, and she noticed the exchange between Edward and Lily and then Edward and Petunia immediately. She removed her sunglasses, placed them in her pink handbag, and then gave it to the butler. She walked over to the tiny redhead, noticing the pain and longing in her eyes as she watched her father hug Petunia. 

"Hello, Lily," the woman said and hugged her tightly. Lily tensed up as if she wasn't used to the affection. Violet frowned and greeted Petunia, but did not embrace her.

"Well, I must say, after that journey, I need to use the loo!" Violet exclaimed brightly, looking at the Evans's. "Lily, would you be a dear and show me where it is?"

Lily avoided her father's gaze, nodded, and led her Aunt Violet out of the room. Once they were out of earshot, Violet touched Lily gently on the shoulder and pulled her around to face her. She gasped. Lily's eyes were identical to her mother's, Violet's older sister. After a moment, when she was able to speak again, she whispered, "Actually, Lily, I just wanted to get away from them so I could have a chat with you. Why don't you show me to your room so we can talk by our selves?"

Lily bit her lip worriedly and said in a tiny voice, "I don't have a room."

Violet straitened up and sighed. This was worse than she thought. "Well then, do you know a place where we can talk by ourselves?"

Lily studied Violet for a minute and with the tiniest of nods, she started walking at a brisk pace. She led Violet out of the house by a side door and into an old barn. She climbed up a ladder leading to a hayloft effortlessly, while Violet had a bit of trouble because of her pink spiked heels. When she finally got up, she froze, her blue eyes roaming over everything: a sack of something that looked like hay in the corner, next to an old table with a basin of dirty water, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel next to it on its old surface.

Appalled, it took Violet some moments before remembering her niece was in the room with her. She joined her on the horse feed sack with hay in it and took one of the girl's small hands in hers and said, "Lily, is this where you sleep?" 

Lily nodded.

"Oh, my," was all Violet could say. After a pause, she asked hesitatingly, "How long have you been up here?"

"A long time," she said, looking down at her lap and wriggling uncomfortably in her dress. Violet noticed how thin her arms were.

"Ah. And does your daddy ever come visit you up here?"

Still wriggling, the girl mumbled, "No."

Violet suppressed a sigh and looked around some more. "Does he give you clothes?"

"Petunia's old stuff," Lily said. "It's over there," she gestured to a pile of clothing in the corner.

"Why don't you wear it?" Violet asked with surprise.

"'Cause they don't fit," Lily said, shrugging her small shoulders. "In the winter I wear them sometimes."

"I see." They were silent for a moment, until Violet put a smile on her face and said as happily as she could, "And you're eleven today, aren't you?" 

Lily looked up at her with wide, surprised green orbs. "How did you know?"

Violet frowned slightly. "Because it's your birthday. I always send you money on your birthday, dear."

"You do?" Lily echoed, her eyes becoming even wider.

Violet's jaw clenched – she felt a tinge of true anger sparking up in her. "Yes," she managed, trying to hold onto her temper, "that's also why I've come down." Oh, how could she have let it go this far? It was obvious her brother-in-law blamed Lily for Iris's death – a problem that made Violet's heart ache. She had to do something…she couldn't let Lily grow up like this-

Suddenly, overhead, there was a great flapping of wings and a small, brown owl landed right in front of Violet.

~*~*~*~*

Did you like it? This idea has been in my head for quite some time, so if you want the next chapter, please review! I want at least five! Thanks!

Cheers!

Bella


	2. Welcome to Violet's World

I'm so glad you all like my fic! I currently have 22 reviews! Its tons of fun to write, maybe almost as fun as actually reading! I hope that made sense. At least, it should to fellow authors! Oh, and don't forget, the sooner you review, the sooner you get the next chapter! 

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the plot, and even some of that doesn't belong to me!

**The Story of Lily**

****

Chapter 2: Welcome to Violet's World 

Violet glanced at Lily, who was staring up at the owl with slight surprise. Violet calmly approached the owl, but just as she was going to grab it, it took flight so it was just out of her reach. 

They repeated this many times, much to the amusement of Lily, who didn't understand why Aunt Violet wanted the owl, but was giggling hard anyway. About fifteen minutes later, when Violet's dress was wrinkled, her scarf had long since flown off, and beads of perspiration were showing on her forehead, she made a loud impatient noise and whipped a long, shiny stick out of a pocket that, Lily noticed with astonishment, wasn't there before.

Violet pointed the stick at the owl, who seemed to realize it was in danger, as it was flapping around the hayloft with haste, and she yelled, "_Petrificus__ Totalus_!" in a loud voice. The owl's wings snapped to its side and it fell quickly to the ground. Violet caught it easily and put the stick back in the pocket that wasn't really there.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped when she read the address on the letter, "No wonder the owl wouldn't let me near it!" She turned to Lily with the largest smile Lily had ever seen and said, "Lily, you've been accepted!" She hugged her tightly.

"Erm, Aunt Violet, what exactly is it that I have been accepted to? And what is that stick? I think I was hallucinating, but you did something with it and that owl froze!" she exclaimed quickly, looking at Violet with large, confused eyes.

Violet laughed. A musical laugh it was, too. "Oh, Lily! You've been accepted to Hogwarts! The finest "Wizarding school?" Lily repeated slowly, looking at her as if she were mad. 

"Yes, Lily, you are a witch, like me. Oh this is wonderful!"

Lily sat in a daze for a moment, thinking hard, and then stood up with determination. "Aunt Violet, you're mad, begging your pardon. Magic doesn't exist! I don't know what you did to that owl, it must have had a heart attack or something, but magic doesn't exist!" 

Her aunt did something astonishing – she laughed. "Alright, then. I'll prove it," she said with a smile. She waved that stick again, and right before Lily's skeptical eyes, Violet turned her sack of horse-feed filled with hay into a large, luxurious-looking king-sized bed with scarlet hangings and fluffy white pillows. "Go ahead, try it out."

Lily cautiously placed a hand on the bed. It certainly felt real enough. She decided to be bold, and climbed up onto it and gasped in surprise and delight. "Oh, it is real! This is amazing!" and cracked her first real, true smile. It transformed her face, like a candle being lit in a pitch-black cave.

Violet laughed again, grabbed the letter, and flopped in a very un-ladylike manner onto the bed with Lily. "Here, Lily. It's your letter."

Lily turned over the thick, heavy parchment with slightly trembling fingers and read the address, which was addressed to her in emerald-green ink:

Miss L. Evans

The Hayloft in the Barn

The Evans' Property

"Go on, Lily. Open it!" urged Violet. The girl slowly turned the envelope over and saw the wax seal: a lion, eagle, badger, and snake around the capitol letter H. Here's what the contents said:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed.__ Of Wizards)_

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed list of necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

_Deputy Headmistress_

"Oh," said Lily. Words completely failed her, but Violet happily grinned, because she perfectly understood. 

"That's what I said when I got my letter too! Although, my mother and father thought it was all a hoax. I didn't have an aunt come suddenly and explain everything to me!" She smiled again at Lily.

Lily grinned back and re-read her letter. Then a horrible thought occurred to her. It hit her like a ton of bricks, and she suddenly felt short of breath. "My-my father…he won't let me go…I know it…" she said faintly.

"Well, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it! And don't worry, Lily. I won't leave here unless you are safely in my arms. I want to take you home with me," Violet said firmly.

"You – you do?"

Violet took her hands and stared into her eyes. "I think it will be best for both of us if you came with me. Sound good?"

Lily couldn't stop the immeasurable happiness that spread over her like a warm blanket. She hugged her aunt and felt tears pricking her eyes. Violet got choked up as well. She had never been mother to someone before, but she realized, as she held the small child, that she was ready. A bond was already forming between them – not as deep as mother and child, but it was a start.

They stayed in each other's arms for quit some time, until Violet pulled away and said, "Well, we had better be going. I'm sure your father is wondering where I am. We can't avoid him forever." 

Lily stood up regretfully, and they walked to the ladder. As they were about to climb down, Violet suddenly gasped and whirled around.

"The owl!" 

She pulled out the stick again – Lily now knew it must be a wand – and said, "_Finite Incantatem_!" The owl's wings loosened from its body and it immediately took flight with an indignant hoot.

Violet and Lily deliberately dawdled on their way back to the house, but much to their dismay, they soon arrived. Upon stepping in the door, they were accosted by a very irate Edward Evans.

"Oh my goodness! Violet, are you all right?! Lily, you little beast, get upstairs now! How dare you lead her somewhere else than the toilet! And judging by your appearance, you've been in that awful hayloft! Now go upstairs to your room, young lady!"

Lily bravely stepped forward and said, "What room, Father?"

Her father looked at her with something remarkably like hatred, but soon plastered on a fake smile and said, "Why, Lily, I don't know what you're talking about. Now go!" 

"No! I don't have a room! Where do you expect me to go?!"

And before he could contain himself, Edward Evans slapped his daughter hard on the cheek. Lily let out a cry and clutched her face.

"Edward! How dare you?!" Violet was now shaking with rage. "You – you are a _child abuser! You kept your own daughter prisoner in her own home for the first eleven years of her life, treat her as a slave, and still have the nerve," here she stepped forward so they were merely inches apart, "to hit her! I for one will not take it! I will not leave this house until Lily is safely in my arms!"_

"You can not take my daughter away from me! I would sue you for kidnapping!"

"Well, Edward, think about it," Violet said nastily, stepping towards him. Lily hid behind her, wiping her tears furiously. "Me taking away a girl – you don't deserve to call her your daughter - away from you, whom you seem to absolutely abhor, and getting her out of your hair. Seems to me like it would be an advance for you! And I most certainly will take her! If you sue me, I'll counter-sue you right back for child abuse! Then where would your perfect reputation be? Hmm?"

Edward clenched and unclenched is teeth. Then he said, in a venomous tone, "Fine. Take the witch, and you're right - she is not my daughter. I only have one daughter. That - that _girl_ is nothing but a murderer."

Violet gasped loudly and slapped Edward squarely across the face with all the strength she could muster. "HOW DARE YOU! YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL IT WASN'T LILY'S FAULT! I HOPE NEVER TO SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!" Then she grabbed Lily's hand, perhaps a little more forcefully then necessary, and said, "Come on Lily. We are going!" She pulled Lily into the entrance hall and out the large front door and out to her waiting limousine. The driver was leaning against it with his arms crossed, snoozing lightly. He was jerked out of his nap by Violet's shriek.

"Charles! We're leaving!"

"Oh, yes ma'am. Right away ma'am!" And he jumped up and opened the door for Violet and Lily.

~*~*~*~*~

A very emotional three hours later, when many tears were shed, yet love was felt by both, Violet and Lily arrived at Violet's mansion. 

"Oh, Lily! I'm so happy you're here! It gets dreadfully lonely in such a large house!" exclaimed Violet as they stepped out of the limo.

Lily gaped at the house. It was four stories high, with Spanish-style stucco on the outside, painted a bright yellow. It had huge white pillars, dark red clay roofs, and Lily could see a large veranda off the side of the house. 

"Lily, I have the best room for you…It just occurred to me! You know, this was your grandfather's, my father's, house? This is where Iris and I spent our childhood. Iris was obsessed with lilies, you know, and she swore to me that if she had a daughter, she would name her Lily." Upon seeing Lily's confused face, she elaborated, "When Petunia was born, I asked her why she didn't name her Lily, and she said that Petunia 'just didn't look like a Lily' so that is how she had your name picked out already before you were born. She told me she had a feeling that her next baby would be a girl, and she knew it would look like a Lily." 

Lily's eyes misted over at the mention of her mother, the one she never knew. "Aunt Violet, even though I wish I could have met my mother, I sure am glad you're here!" 

Violet couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her blue eyes, "Oh darling!" And the two hugged yet again.

~*~*~*~*~

Lily gasped when she saw her new room. Violet had been right. It was perfect.

The room was painted a deep, russet red with white trim and doors that were all French-style. There was a hunter green border around the top of the walls with little white lilies painted about a foot apart. There were four large windows on each side, facing each other. They stretched from the ceiling to the floor framed by hunter green drapes, the same color as the border. 

The bed was Lily's favorite thing by far. It was huge – king-sized, with a hunter-green canopy and drapes. A red, fluffy comforter and white pillows decorated it. The bedspread had tiny lilies embroidered along all four edges.

Lily's favorite part of the bed was the head and foot-board. They were a rich mahogany wood with lilies perfectly carved into them. They were so intricate they seemed to be living. 

"Oh, Aunt Violet! It's perfect! Absolutely perfect!" She embraced her aunt tightly. 

"I knew you would like it!" Violet said happily. "Now, come on, I'll get Cookie to whip you up something! You look like you haven't had a decent meal in a long time."

"I haven't," Lily said truthfully.

"Come on, then!"

~*~*~*~*

Cookie turned out to be a very nice, plump lady, who was, of course, the cook. She had short gray hair, and when she saw Lily, she nearly fainted at how thin and small she was. She demanded to know who had, or in this case, hadn't, fed her. Violet quickly told her in a low voice a brief account of her day. Cookie's eyes filled with tears and the kind lady gave Lily a big hug and told her how much she looked like her mother – and then proceeded to fix the most wonderful meal. She went overboard, fixing almost everything she had in the kitchen, and in a remarkably short time, but that of course could have been because she was a witch as well.

She made pasta with sauces, a large salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and garlic bread. Lily ate everything that was on her plate and went back for seconds, even thirds. When Cookie learned that it was also Lily's birthday and Lily had never even had a birthday cake, she fixed a large, three-layer cake with pink icing, a 'Happy Birthday Lily' that flashed different colors and flavors of icing, and eleven candles. The house staff came in and sang happy birthday, while Lily, who certainly was not used to being the center of attention, blushed scarlet. She blew out her candles in one breath, and everyone applauded.

She ate one piece because that was all she could handle. Violet insisted she went up to bed, and then the next day, they would go Muggle shopping. Violet claimed that Muggles had better clothes than wizards, but since Lily had never seen wizard clothes, she took Violet's word for it.

~*~*~*~*

The next day was very busy for Lily. She had to dress in the same clothes as the previous day because Violet didn't have any clothes that would fit her. They went to London and shopped all day. Lily got everything from classy dresses to expensive undergarments. 

They went home and changed to go out to a fancy restaurant. Lily wore her favorite new frock, a dark green dress made of silk that brought out her hair and eyes. Violet was in a long black dress that was plain yet stunning.

They had a lovely time, and ended up staying out longer than they planned because Violet was telling Lily all the stories she knew about her mother. The pair went to bed immediately when they got home and slept soundly and very late the next morning.

~*~*~*~*

Finally, the day Lily had been waiting for came: her aunt was taking her to Diagon Alley for her school supplies. Violet dressed in her wizard robes that were the same color as her name and they set off.

When they reached London, Violet instructed the driver to let them off in front of a grubby looking pub and told him to pick them up in the same place in about five hours. Violet led Lily into the pub, which was very crowded. She took her hand and led her out a door in the back, stopping only once to talk to a young wizard who she knew from school.

They went out into the courtyard. Violet turned to the wall and took out her wand. She counted bricks and then tapped her wand on one of them, and the most extraordinary thing happened: the wall melted away to reveal a crowded street with shops on either side. Lily gasped as she stepped in cautiously. It all was real!

"Lily," said Violet, smiling down at her, "this is Diagon Alley."

Lily grinned and they set off to a large, white marble building that Violet told her was called Gringotts, the wizard's bank.

"Now, Lily," Violet said, stopping her before they entered the bank, "Gringotts is run by goblins." Lily gasped. "Yes. They are mean and nasty creatures, so don't give them any reason to be suspicious of you. Don't speak, I'll do all of the talking. Alright?" 

Lily nodded solemnly, feeling very scared. Violet smiled gently. "Don't worry. Just squeeze my hand very hard if you get scared. That will make you feel better, I promise."

"Okay," said Lily, a little bit reassured, but still scared.

They climbed the stairs and Lily encountered her first set of goblins in front of a pair of bronze doors. They bowed the two through those doors and they encountered two silver doors. Then they entered Gringotts, which consisted of a lot of white marble. It was very busy.

"Hmm," said Violet, scanning the crowds, "I suppose everyone else had the same idea as us! Wait until the last week before school!" She smiled. "Oh, well. Perhaps you'll meet someone your age." They managed to find an empty goblin. "Hello. I need to visit vault three-hundred-thirty-one, please." The goblin leaned over the counter and sneered at Lily. She bit back a cry and squeezed Violet's hand as hard as she could. "Oh!" exclaimed Violet, surprised.

"Key?" grunted the goblin.

"Oh – oh yes, it's –" gasp, "– right – right here!" She held up a small golden key. The goblin inspected it, and when he seemed satisfied, he yelled for another goblin. "Achfult!"

Another goblin hurried over to the counter. "Yes?"

"Take these people to vault three-hundred-thirty-one." 

The goblin bowed and led them through another door. Instead of seeing more marble, Lily saw dirt. They appeared to be in a sort of tunnel. Achfult whistled and a cart came rattling to them. He got in and motioned for Lily and Violet to follow. The cart set off very quickly, gaining more and more speed as it plunged downward. Finally, it stopped and Achfult stepped out. Violet and Lily climbed out as well.

"Key!" Achfult demanded. 

"Oh, yes, here you are," Violet said, handing him the tiny key from her purse.

The goblin turned the key and the door opened, revealing mounds of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Lily gasped in delight and stepped forward into the vault. 

"Aunt Violet, is all this yours?"

"Yes," Violet said, gathering up coins in a large purple bag.

"Wow," Lily breathed as she looked around.

"Come on, love. We need to go!" Violet exclaimed, motioning for Lily to follow her.

"Okay, I'm coming." Lily took one last look around and stepped out.

~*~*~*~*

  
When they left Gringotts, they went into the clothing shop, called Madam Malkin's. Madame Malkin, a squat, kindly faced woman, measured Lily for her robes. Violet bought Lily the regular black school robes, and then others: green, red, navy blue, and white dress robes. Violet also bought a very lovely pale blue set for herself.

"Aunt Violet," Lily asked curiously as they left the shop, "why did we buy so many fancy robes?"

"Well," began Violet, "This Sunday is the Ministry Ball, and I want to bring you – all of the members of the Ministry attend, plus their families and others. I must admit I'm quite excited – this is the first time I'll bring family," she smiled at her small niece.

Lily smiled shyly and was silent for a moment, before asking, "Do you work at the Ministry?"

"Yep," said Violet as they entered the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts.

"Oh. What do you do?"

"Well," she began as she pulled books off of the shelves, "I work in the department that deals with the law. Kind of like a Muggle solicitor."

"What do you mean, 'kind of'?"

"Well, I'm not called a solicitor, for one, I'm called an Advisor. Lily, dear, have we forgot anything?"

Lily looked down at the list. "No. So you Advise people?"

"Yes, that's sort of right. I deal more with criminals, though. Are you sure we haven't forgot anything?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Are you Advising anyone right now?"

"I Advise many people," Violet replied as she paid for Lily's books.

"Oh. Who?"

"People who need me," she said as they left Flourish and Blotts and entered the Apothecary. "Now, you need beetle eyes, here they are."

"What do they need Advising on?"

"My, my, you're certainly full of questions today!" she laughed as she shoveled the beetles' eyes into a container.

Lily stared at the beetle eyes. They were gross, but they weren't gross enough to distract her from drilling her aunt about her work. "Well?" she asked, trying to stay patient.

"Different things, my dear, different things. Now, let's stop talking about work! I'm on vacation, after all!" 

She paid the clerk and thanked him, and then walked out with Lily. "Now, for your pet," Violet said as they entered Eeylops Owl Emporium. 

"Oh, but I want my wand now!" Lily cried, and all thoughts of Violet's job were pushed out of her head.

Violet smiled teasingly. "We have to save the best for last!" she sang. "Now, I want you to get an owl, dear, because owls will stay with you forever. I bought mine when I was your age and she's still with me…"

Finally, after leaving the shop with a lovely tawny owl with green eyes that matched Lily's, they entered the store called, _Ollivanders__: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. The inside was dim and musty, and took the pair a few moments to get used to the sudden darkness, but it radiated with magic. Suddenly, an old man stepped out of the shadows. _

"Ah, who have we here? Violet Wellington? Thirteen inches, ash and unicorn tail, is it not? Great for Transfiguration, as I recall."

"Yes, you are quite right, Mr. Ollivander."

"Oh, and who is this? Your daughter, perhaps?"

Violet smiled and pushed Lily out in front of her. "No, this is my niece, Lily Evans."

"Evans…hmm…I don't recall that name."

"You wouldn't. They're all Muggles, as far as I know, besides this one."

"Ah, yes. Well, Miss Evans, lets get you started." He began measuring her with a silver measuring tape. Lily was so busy looking around that she didn't notice the odd places he was measuring – and that it continued moving even after he had let it go. Soon, the man pulled out a long, thin box and handed her its contents. "Try this one: Eleven and a quarter inches, maple and dragon heartstring." Lily took the wand and waved it. Nothing happened.

About fifteen boxes later, Mr. Ollivander went into a back room to try and find a wand. Lily walked to the wall full of wands and pulled one out - something just told her to do it. She removed the wand from the box and immediately felt a tingle in her hand. She waved the wand and whoosh! Blue sparks showered out of it.

"Oh bravo! Mr. Ollivander, she's found a wand!" Violet called as she applauded for Lily.

Mr. Ollivander appeared immediately. "Oh, my! Quite strange, this wand is! It is quite old; I didn't believe I would ever sell it…It's ten and a quarter inches, unicorn tail core and made from a willow tree, very good for charm work and quite swishy."

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander!" Lily said enthusiastically.

"Quite alright. That will be eight Galleons." 

Violet paid and they walked out of the shop. "Lily, I think this calls for some ice cream!"

Lily agreed and they set off to the ice cream shop. She was busy petting her owl, which she decided to name Iris after her mother, when-

WHAM!

Lily was knocked off her feet and strait onto the ground. 

She groaned and opened her eyes. She saw two faces swimming into focus above her head: her aunt's worried face and a boy's, as well.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry!" The boy exclaimed as he helped Lily up. He had long black hair and dark eyes. "Are you okay?"

Lily nodded and picked up Iris. The owl was looking extremely disgruntled and she gave an indignant hoot.

"I'm really sorry! My name's James Potter, by the way," said the boy eagerly as he held out his hand. Lily smiled.

"It's alright. Nice to meet you, James. I'm Lily Evans."

"You too. Are you a first year?" James asked.

Lily was about to answer when another boy came up to James. "James!" He looked at James' apologetic face and said, "Oh no, what did you do? I'm sorry, ma'am, whatever he did to you-" the boy said to Violet.

"No, it's alright, really, he just knocked me over, that's all." Lily smiled. "I'm Lily Evans."

"Hi, I'm Sirius Black." Sirius had shaggy hair, not messy like James', and eyes that were so dark, they were almost black.

"Sirius Black?" repeated Violet.

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Oh, then Orion Black is your father! We've met before, I think…I'm Violet Wellington." 

A look of recognition passed over Sirius' face. "Oh, yeah! Dad talks about you a lot!" 

Lily thought Violet blushed, but it could have just been the light. 

"Sirius! James! Where have you been?" A young man with black hair came rushing over to the group. He looked to be about Violet's age, and was very tall – Lily had practically to crane her neck to get a good look at him. His face was chiseled and quite handsome, and warm black eyes looked anxiously at them. 

"Sorry, Mr. Black, we just, erm, had a little collision with Lily here." James gestured to Lily.

"Oh, did he knock into you?" the man – Mr. Black – asked, his eyes widening.

Lily smiled and nodded. "Yes, but I'm fine."

"Well, that's good." Mr. Black straitened up and spotted Violet, and a bright smile broke over his face. "Violet! How are you? Enjoying your vacation?" They embraced like old friends.

"Oh, I'm just fine, Orion, how are you?"

"I'm great, great. And who is this? Lily, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm Lily Evans. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Black," Lily said sweetly, shaking his hand.

Mr. Black beamed. "Well, such a polite young lady! You two should follow her example!" he said to James and Sirius.

"Oh, nonsense, Orion, Sirius and James are perfect delights," said Violet, smiling.

Mr. Black rolled his eyes with exaggeration, and Lily giggled. "You're being nice, Violet. Have you two been school shopping?" he asked, noticing their bulging bags.

"Of course," Violet said, "for school and the ball."

"Ah! So you and Lily are both coming?"

"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world. Are you?"

"Yes, I'm bringing Sirius and Celeste – my daughter, that is."

"Are you going, James?" Violet asked, looking at the boy. 

James nodded and pushed his glasses up farther onto his nose. "My mum's helping to plan it."

A look of recognition passed over Violet's face, and she smiled slowly and looked up at Orion. "Harry and Katharine are his parents, aren't they?"

Orion nodded, putting his hand on James's head. "Of course." 

"I don't believe I didn't notice…" Violet said, and trailed off. "Anyway, we're just on our way to get some ice cream – how would you boys like to come with us?"

"Yeah! Can we, dad?" Sirius begged, looking up at his dad.

Orion looked at her for a moment, debating, but finally shook his head sadly. "We'd love to, Violet, but I've got to get James' home – Katharine would have my head if he were late again. Goodbye, Violet, Lily. See you both on Saturday."

"Bye James! Bye Sirius! Bye Mr. Black!" Lily called after them. James waved and Sirius threw her a very rogue wink.

"Aunt Violet! Mr. Black's very handsome! Is he married?" Lily asked her aunt when they were out of earshot.

Violet blushed almost imperceptibly. "No, Sirius's mother passed away a few years back from a Muggle disease, of all things." 

"What does Mr. Black do?"

"He works in the Department for the Control of Muggle and Magical Diseases. He's quite good, from what I hear. He's what Muggles would call a scientist."

"What does James's father do?" 

"He is an Auror. And a very good one at that."

"What's an Auror?"

"An Auror is a wizard secret agent, sort of. He fights Dark wizards."

"Oh. They're bad, right?"

"Yes, that's right. They practice Dark Magic." Violet paid for their ice creams (vanilla and chocolate chip) and they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. They didn't talk after that, both enjoying their ice creams. The driver was waiting for them when they left the pub, and Lily climbed in, tremendously excited for the coming ball and school.

~*~*~*~*

Did you like it? I need feedback! Five more reviews, please!

Cheers!

Bella* 


	3. The Ministry Ball

I'm so thrilled that you like my story. 34 Reviews! Makes me happy. If you would like to give me a longer review, or just if you want to, please email me! I will always email back if you want me to. I know only three people in the world of fan fiction and I would love to know more! Anyway, here it is~ Chapter Three! I hope you like it. This one was fun to write!

*Hey Steph! You all can all thank her for giving me the extra push I needed to get this fic on the road, and for helping me decide the ending! Luv ya!

The last, but not least, is Hermione Gulliver! Thanks so much for your help! (Go read her L&J fic too!) Luv ya!

Ok, that's a long enough A/N. Now, review please! Once again, I want at least five! 

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is JK Rowling's. I can't wait for the fifth book!

**The Story of Lily**

Chapter 3: The Ministry Ball

Lily checked herself again in the floor length mirror in her huge bathroom. She grinned at the finished product of Violet's, Ella's (Violet's French maid and very good friend), and her work. 

After much time contemplating and modeling for Violet and Ella, the three decided on the puffy white satin dress robes. They were tight until Lily's hips, and then they flared out gracefully. Her dark red hair was strait, as opposed to its normal corkscrew curls, but curled gently at the bottom. Violet had applied a little bit of Muggle (once again swearing it was better then magical) makeup very tactfully on Lily's face. She had a little bit of powder foundation on, rose colored blush, and white eye shadow that shimmered over her eyelids. Violet had also put pink lip-gloss on her lips. 

The girl twirled. Her robes lifted off the ground, but they were too heavy to really twirl like her short frilly Muggle dress that Lily had only let Violet buy for her because it twirled so wonderfully.

"Mademoiselle Lilee, eet iz time to go. Mademoiselle Violet iz waiting in ze 'all for you," said a very French accent from the doorway. Ella was standing there, holding Lily's hunter green cloak.

"Oh! Alright, Ella," said Lily, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. 

"Don't worry, Lilee. You will 'ave a wonderful time. Do not bee nervous! You will be ze belle of ze ball, as you Eenglish say!" Ella gave Lily a hug, and walked her down the stairs to the entrance hall. 

Lily gasped. Her aunt looked magnificent. She was wearing the icy blue robes, the same ones that they had bought together in Diagon Alley, along with the robes Lily was wearing. Violet's fit the same way Lily's did; tight at the top, then flowed out from the hips. Although, Violet, unlike Lily, wasn't lacking a chest.

"Oh, Lils, darling, you look wonderful!" Violet exclaimed as she hugged Lily tightly. 

"Thanks," said Lily, while breathing in her aunt's scent, "so do you!"

"Ooh!" Cookie squealed as she rushed out of the kitchen, "I've got to get picture of my girls together in their beautiful robes!" She held up a camera and flashed a photo. When it developed seconds later, it showed Violet with her arm around Lily, both smiling and waving at the camera.

"Oh, zat iz a wonderful picture! Let us blow it up, 'eh Cookie?" Ella cried.

"Oh, yes of course! It'll be hanging in the hall when you return! Have a wonderful time, dears," Cookie added as she hugged them.

"Yes, pleeze do! And Lilee, don't bee nervous! Just reemeber what it iz zat I taught yoo about dancing, and yoo will bee fine!" Ella reminded her, hugging the girl as well. 

"Thanks again for teaching me, Ella."

"It waz nosing! Now go, beefore yoo are late!"

Lily and Violet walked outside and into the waiting limo. They traveled for about forty-five minutes, but the time passed quickly since they were both chatting merrily and drinking sparkling cider. 

"Oh, Lils, I forgot to tell you something!" Violet said suddenly as they pulled into the line of limousines and cars. They were driven by witches and wizards who had families or could not Apparate. It was not very fashionable to arrive by Floo Powder to the Minister's mansion, especially during a dressy ball.

"What?" asked Lily warily.

"Erm, well, first off, I think you really should put that glass down, as you might drop it or something…" 

Lily was really scared now. 

"Alright, Lily, please don't be upset, but Ministry members have to be announced."

Lily let out the breath she was holding. She opened her mouth to say that that wasn't very bad, when Violet cut her off. 

"We have to stand at the top of the stairs and get our names called in front of everyone," she blurted.

"_What?!"_

"It's not something I enjoy either, but come on now, Lily, we need to get inside!" Violet urgently said as the valet opened the limo door.

"No! There is no way I'm leaving this car!"

"Lily! It'll be fine! Come on!" Violet wheedled as she pulled Lily's arm.

"NO!"

Violet stepped out of the limo and took out her wand. "Accio Lily!" she cried. Lily was immediately flung out of the car and into Violet's arms. Violet placed her onto her feet. "Come on Lily, right now! You don't want to be embarrassed at the Minister's house do you? We are going to face your fear! Let's go!"

Lily was shocked at seeing her aunt so fired up, so she followed quickly after hesitating a little. They stood in a line at the top of the huge staircase that led into the foyer, where everyone was mingling before dinner. A wizard approached them and took their names and titles. When Violet gave him theirs, the wizard gasped and almost dropped his quill and parchment in his surprise and hurry to shake Violet's hand.

Slowly the line moved. Each person or people in a family were called, and then they walked down the stairs to applause and were greeted by the Minister of Magic himself and his family.

The man ahead of them went down. Lily took deep breaths and was determined not to look down.

"Miss Violet Wellington, Adviser and Head of the Department of Magical Law Defense," here there were many gasps, "along with her niece, Miss Lily Evans," the wizard boomed through his magically enhanced voice.

Lily looked down before she could stop herself. At least one hundred faces stared at her as they applauded. She grabbed onto the railing to prevent herself from falling. She froze, just looking at all the faces. Her palms were sweating, and she knew she would faint. Suddenly, a strong hand gripped her arm.

"It's alright, Lily, it's just you and I. Take a deep breath. We're by ourselves. Come on now, we need to walk down the stairs. Look, it's just the stairs back at home!" Violet was whispering in her ear as they slowly moved downwards. "And look, there's McKinley! He's scowling again, the old bat!"

Lily giggled in spite of herself and found it much easier to move. Soon, they were at the bottom of the stairs.

"Violet!" exclaimed Minister Watson. Lily was surprised the actual Minister of Magic himself was hugging her aunt in a brotherly fashion. She recalled how the wizard who had taken their names had shook Violet's hand vigorously when Violet told him who she was, and Lily got that feeling again, the one that her aunt was definitely more than she made out to be. She made a mental note to ask her later about it.

"Hello, George," Violet said warmly to the Minister. "This is my niece, Lily Evans. Lily, this is Minister Watson and his wife, Elizabeth Watson." Violet gestured to the two.

"I'm pleased to meet you, young lady," said Minister Watson, his white teeth standing out against his neatly trimmed black beard as he shook Lily's hand.

"Vi, you look spectacular, as usual," Mrs. Watson said with a big smile, and embraced her tightly. She then bent over slightly so she was facing Lily, and started slightly. "Good heavens, look at those eyes," she said, her own brown ones wide. She quickly glanced up at Violet before addressing Lily again. "It's wonderful to meet you, Lily. Violet's told me so much about you. Now, where's – Gwendolyn," Mrs. Watson turned to a pretty girl standing next to her. "Come here and meet Lily. Lily, this is my daughter, Gwendolyn."

Gwendolyn scowled at her mother. "Mu-um," she whined, "it's Gwen!"

"Gwendolyn, where are your manners? Say hello to Lily!" her mother scolded. Gwendolyn's scowl gave way to a full-fledged smile when she saw Lily. "Hello Lily! Mum, can I show Lily my room? Please? It's so boring here!" she asked eagerly.

"Well, I suppose. I'll have Giles ring up when its time for dinner." 

No sooner had the words left her mouth then Lily was whisked away by the wrist. She was pulled through a door and found herself in a deserted hallway.

"I'm sorry," Gwendolyn apologized. "It's just that, I'm so thrilled you're here! I always get stuck with boys and old people the entire time, normally! I'm Gwen, bye the way. My mum just calls me my full name because, 'Its soo pretty, dear!'" Gwen put on a false accent to imitate her mother.

Lily giggled. She already liked the vivacious raven-haired girl. "It's okay, don't worry. I'm Lily Evans."

"You are so lucky to be related to Violet," said Gwen enviously as they climbed a staircase off to the right of the hallway. "She is so fun. She comes and visits us a lot."

"How does she know your dad so well?" Lily asked curiously as they set down a long corridor.

"Well, they went to school together, but my dad and mum were about a year older than her. Her 'crowd' and his mixed a lot because my mum and Violet were best friends. They still are, in fact. Oh, and it's also because she's the Adviser," explained Gwen.

Lily was about to ask her why an Adviser was so important, but she never got the chance because Gwen said, "She told me about you."

"Your mum?" Lily asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah. Violet owled her the same day she got you," Gwen said, looking at Lily sideways. "Just to tell my mum and to ask permission from Dad about keeping you for a bit before adopting you."

"She had to ask permission from the _Minister?"_

"Well, she didn't have to, but she did," Gwen said, shrugging. She paused for a minute, and then curiously asked, "Mum didn't tell me why you came to live with Violet…"

Lily swallowed awkwardly. "You don't have to tell me or anything," Gwen said hastily, "I just…"

"No, it's fine," Lily said. "I didn't get on well with my father, that's all, and Violet came and rescued me, sort of."

"Oh," Gwen said, nodding. She turned sharply a moment later and flung open a large door.

"This is my room," she announced. The room was a bit bigger than Lily's, but painted…bright pink?! All thoughts on the Adviser were thrown out of her mind.

"Hey Gwen," Lily asked as Gwen flopped down casually on her large bed with a magazine, "why is your room hot pink?"

"Oh – I forgot – this morning I was feeling daring so the walls turned pink," she replied nonchalantly.

"What?" asked Lily, plainly confused. 

"You've never heard of Mood Walls?" Gwen said incredulously, turning around to face her.

"No," said Lily, wondering what she was missing out on.

"Oh! Well, in that case, put your hand on the wall," Gwen said, gesturing to the mass of hot pink. Lily stepped tentatively forward and placed her hand on it. It started to change colors – to bright yellow?!

Gwen began laughing and managed to say once she had recovered, "Your face! Oh – that means you're excited!"

Lily began laughing too. Gwen then laid her hand on the wall and it changed to a light green. 

"That means I'm happy," said Gwen, and she indeed did sound very content. The two girls admired it for a while, until a short knock on the door made Lily jump.

"Oh, it's just Giles," said Gwen when she noticed Lily's surprised expression. She flung the door, revealing a very stern older man with tight mouth.

"Miss Watson and Miss Evans, dinner will be served shortly. Your mother requires your presence immediately, if you please."

"It's not like we have any choice," Gwen muttered under her breath. "C'mon Lils. Can I call you Lils?" 

Lily smiled. "Sure."

"Alright, well, let's go. We can't avoid James Potter and Sirius Black forever."

"Oh - I met them in Diagon Alley the other day, I think." 

"I feel sorry for you!" Gwen exclaimed vehemently as they followed the stiff butler back the way they came.

"I thought they were nice," Lily said, frowning.  

Gwen opened her mouth to say something, but Giles scolded her and told her to be kind to people, especially when the ones they were speaking about were not there to defend themselves. He lectured the girls the entire way to the dining room on good verbal manners. 

The previously packed foyer was deserted, except for a few last minute stragglers. Giles pushed them through the large door that led to the dining room, and pointed to the table where the Minister and Violet were sitting.

"Oh, no," Gwen moaned as they made their way to the table, "James, Sirius, _and Remus just have to sit at the same table, don't they?"_

"Who's Remus?" Lily asked curiously.

"He's the Assistant Minister of Magic's son. He's going to Hogwarts too, and is going to be in first year like us."

Lily wondered how Gwen knew she was going to be a first year, but then assumed Violet must have told Mrs. Watson. The two girls sat at the table, and Lily was introduced to everyone.

The Minister was sitting at the head of the table of course, with Violet on his right and Assistant Minister Lupin was on his left. Then, on Violets side, right after her was Orion Black; followed by a pretty woman who's name was Katharine Potter, James's mother; then Remus, then an empty seat for one of the girls, and a little girl at the end who was Celeste Black, Sirius' younger sister by three years. On the other side, after Assistant Minister Lupin, was Sirius; followed by Mrs. Watson, then Harry Potter, and then an empty seat for one of the girls, followed by James, at the end.

Gwen begged Lily to sit next to Celeste, because the little girl had quite an obsession with her. Lily agreed, but unfortunately, the little girl talked Lily's ear off, and by the time dinner was over, Celeste had forgotten entirely about Gwen and her obsession now focused on Lily. 

Their table got up first when dinner was over, and led the rest of the tables to a set of doors that led to an enormous ballroom. A full live band began to play. For the first half hour, the five eleven-year-olds munched on the snacks and talked to each other, mostly about things Lily didn't understand, like other witches and wizards and something called Quidditch…

Orion Black came up to them at the end of a lively dance with Gwen's mother, and said, "C'mon, Sirius, ask Lily or Gwen to dance."

"Da-ad," Sirius said, pulling a face.

"Come on, Gwendolyn, dance with James," Mrs. Watson commanded. Grudgingly, and with a scowl at her mother, Gwen obliged. 

"Go on, Sirius, dance with Lily," Orion urged, pushing them together. Blushing furiously, Lily and Sirius stood on the edge of the dance floor and began dancing to a waltz. 

After a few moments, she began to relax. Dancing definitely wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Sirius began to relax as well, and started up a conversation. 

"So Lily, do you know what House you want to be in?" 

Lily paused. Violet had told her all about the four houses. "Well," she began slowly, "I know I don't want to be in Slytherin." 

Sirius nodded his head violently in agreement.

 "And Hufflepuff House sounds like a bunch of goody-goodies, so I don't want to be in there." Here Sirius nodded again. "I think that Gryffindor sounds the best, plus Aunt Violet, your dad and mum, the Minister, and James' parents were all in Gryffindor. But Ravenclaw doesn't sound too bad."

"Argh!" exclaimed Sirius. "Why would you want to be with them all the time? They're boring! They study too much!"

Lily laughed and Sirius spun her around. They continued the dance chatting comfortably. When it was over, the two made their way to find Gwen and James. Gwen was scowling darkly and James was making sure he stepped on her toes whenever possible. She smacked him hard when the dance was over and stomped over to Lily. She was about to drag her off for some punch when Sirius grabbed Gwen and began swing dancing with her. She was trying hard to look unhappy, but Lily could tell that she was really having fun. 

James stood next to her and they laughed over the two for the entire dance, until a slower song came on. 

James set his punch down and elegantly bowed to Lily. "Lily, may I have the pleasure of this dance?" Lily laughed and put her punch down as well and swept a curtsey. 

"Of course, James." He grabbed her hand and they danced. Contrary to what Lily thought, James was actually a very good dancer. Lily felt something like a fire light inside of her, and for the rest of the evening they danced together, sometimes chatting happily, others just dancing in companionable silence. 

Lily noticed that Orion Black and Violet danced quite a bit together as well, and they were very close. Once, she managed to catch Violet's eye and gave her aunt a knowing look. Violet just smiled happily at her and looked away.

Finally, the evening ended – and Lily found she was dismayed. The Minister's family with Lily and Violet gathered on the lawn to say goodbye to the guests.

She saw Orion as he was about to leave with Sirius, James, (who was spending the night) and Celeste (who had been asleep since nine o'clock). He bent down and whispered something in Violets ear, and Violet smiled brilliantly and was about to say something else, when Orion's lips claimed her own. The children said a universal, "Ewww!" and whirled around, while the grown-ups respectfully gave them their privacy and turned away, smiling and talking quietly about "young love".

When the two parted, Violet's eyes were sparkling and she looked as if she wouldn't ever wipe the gorgeous smile off her mouth. Orion conjured up a red rose for her and, with one last quick kiss, he departed with Sirius, the sleeping Celeste, and James.

Violet sighed happily, and Mrs. Watson looked very pleased at well. Lily and Gwen decided this would be a perfect time to put their plan into action.

"Hey Mum, d'you think Lily could spend the night?"

Mrs. Watson started. "Oh, yes dear, that would be fine if Violet says she may."

"Can I, Aunt Violet? Please?" Lily begged.

"Wha – oh yes – yes of course," she muttered distractedly with that large smile still on her face.

"Yes!" said the two eleven-year-olds happily.

"Bye, Aunt Violet!" said Lily while hugging her around the middle. Violet crouched down and gave her a proper hug and kiss. 

"I love you Lily. Have fun! And please don't torture Elizabeth too much!"

Mrs. Watson smiled. "I think I'll be okay. I've had James, Sirius, and Remus stay the weekend before. It's still amazing I'm in one piece!" she laughed.

Violet stood up when her limo drove up. "Well, goodbye girls! Thank you, Liz. Give my regards to George! I'll pop over and get Lily round eleven? She still needs to pack."

"Oh, yes, that's fine. We aren't doing a thing tomorrow. Bye Violet!"

"Bye Liz! Bye girls!" Violet waved and got into the waiting limo and sped off. Lily and Gwen watched the car until it turned out of the large driveway and disappeared. Lily felt a slight, sickening lurch in her stomach as she realized that this was her first sleepover, and started to think that she perhaps had made a mistake. She suddenly felt tears well up, to her embarrassment – but soon felt someone embrace her: Mrs. Watson. 

"C'mon, dears. How 'bout I fix some nice tea for us all? We can have a little girl talk about tonight. Go change into some warm jim-jams and hop down to the living room!"

Lily looked at her gratefully, and the woman smiled knowingly. Then together the two girls ran up the lawn and into the house and up to Gwen's room. Lily borrowed some pajamas and the three talked until about half past twelve, when Mrs. Watson announced she was ready to collapse with fatigue. Lily agreed, and sank into Gwen's huge, comfortable bed happily. She slept very well and late the next morning, waking at almost the same time as Gwen. They smiled sleepily at each other, the room bright from the sunshine, and knew inexplicably that they had begun to form a connection – Lily felt in her stomach that Gwen would stick with her for the rest of her life.

Violet arrived around eleven like she had claimed, still in an extremely good mood, and stayed for lunch. Gwen and Lily hugged tightly when Lily had to go and promised to find each other the next day on the Hogwarts Express.

Lily spent the entire day packing. She and Violet went out for an "End of the Summer/Beginning of the School Year" dinner with Ella, and had a lovely time.

Lily went to bed that night very content, yet nervous about the next day. She was glad, at least, that she had Gwen. All questions about the Adviser and her importance didn't even enter her thoughts, and they wouldn't for a long time.

~*~*~*~*

Ooh! What will happen next? Yes, I know, it was fluffy, but come on! Violet and Orion are so cute together! I hear wedding bells! Oops! Sorry, that slipped! ;)

Well-for a clue, we will find out what an Adviser is! Give me five more reviews and you will get to know! Sorry this one is kind of short, but there will be longer ones!  

Next Chapter ~ What is an Adviser? We'll find out if you review!

Cheers!

Bella* 


	4. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizard...

Well, here's Chapter Four! Kind of lengthy, but hey! That's a good thing, right? Lol! Anyway, I hope you like it! 5 more reviews! Hugs to you who review!  
  
Thanks to Hermione Gulliver for the help and for answering all my questions and not thinking I'm weird! ::grins:: Luv ya! How's your mum?? LOL xxoo  
  
This is also a HUGE shout out to Steph who gave me the idea for the Advisor's powers! Luv ya! Thanks SO much!  
  
Everyone needs to know that I am dedicating this story to YourWorstNightmare who's story gave me the idea for this story!! So you all can thank her!! Oh and also because she is very forgiving ::lol!::  
  
**Disclaimer: A bunch of stuff is mine, yet a bunch of it isn't ::grins:: so please don't sue me. I only have about five dollars! And I still haven't gone Christmas shopping!!   
  
The Story of Lily  
  
**

Chapter 4: HogwartsSchool of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Lily woke the next morning with a large knot of anxiety in her stomach. She didn't eat anything for breakfast, despite Cookie and Violet's encouragement. She was ready to go about an hour before they needed to leave, so she wondered around the mansion aimlessly.  
  


Finally she stopped in front of a large mirror with a gold frame in a hall she didn't even know existed and studied her reflection. It had been about two months since her aunt had rescued Lily from her former home. Lily smiled at how much she had filled out in that brief period of time. She was still skinny, very skinny, but not painfully as she had been before. Her eyes had a sparkle that had never been there before, and she always seemed to have a content smile on her face.  
  
"Lily! We need to go!" her aunt's voice called. 

She rushed down the hallway and into the large foyer. The servants were all assembled to say goodbye to their young mistress. Cookie was weeping into her handkerchief.  
  
She wrapped Lily in a bone-crushing hug and made her swear to owl. Lily promised, and Cookie reluctantly let her go.  
  
"Oh, Mademoiselle Lilee! I will miss you so!" exclaimed Ella as Lily hugged her.  
  
"I'll miss you too, Ella, but I'll be home before you know it!" Lily promised, starting to get a bit teary-eyed as well. She said goodbye to all the other servants, hugging the ones she was closer too. She even shook old McKinley's hand, and he gave her a rare smile.  
  


She found that she was delaying slightly as she took one last look around the foyer. With a swift grin, Lily took Violet's hand, got into the waiting limousine, and sped off.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The two arrived at King's Cross-Station with only minutes to spare. Violet directed Lily to the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten.  
  
"Now, Lily, the way to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarter's is to run straight into the barrier," Violet instructed.  
  
"What?" asked Lily confusedly.  
  
"I'll do it with you. Grab onto my hand and we'll take it at a run. Now, the only thing you have to do is think that you won't run into the barrier, and we'll be there in a flash." 

Violet took Lily's trunk and hand and she began to run. Lily followed at a breakneck speed, repeating over and over that she would not hit the barrier, but she was still doubtful. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the crash to come, but it never did. Violet slowed down next to her and Lily opened her eyes.  
  
"Whoa," she gasped. There was a huge scarlet steam engine in front of her, labeled the Hogwarts Express. There was a large crowd of witches and wizards, some students and other's parents seeing their children off. She immediately found where Gwen was. There was a large group of wizards dressed in green robes - the Minister's Guard - who were surrounding three people: Minister Watson, Mrs. Watson, and Gwen.  
  
Violet and Lily pushed their way through the crowd and arrived at the wall of green. A gruff looking wizard stopped them.  
  
"Now, just what do you think you're doing, ladies? You do realize that this is the Minister of Magic? Don't you have any brains under that mop of blond hair?" he sneered at Violet. She made a noise of outrage. Minister Watson had overheard and he stepped foreword.  
  
"Harrison, do you know who this woman is?" Harrison shook his head shortly. "No? Well, if you had known, I hope you would have shown respect for the Adviser," he said coldly. A hush fell over the crowd.  
  
Harrison turned pale. "Oh - oh my, the Adviser? Here?" He removed his green hat and respectfully inclined his head to her, as did all the people within earshot and the other members of the Minister's Guard. "Begging your pardon, ma'am, I didn't know, really I didn't."  
  
Violet looked around, embarrassed, at the crowd who were all craning their necks, trying to get a glimpse of the Adviser. She smiled kindly at him. "It's all right."  
  
Harrison immediately stepped back and admitted Violet and Lily into the circle. The crowd went back to its previous buzzing activity, but still some witches and wizards walked by and stared at her.  
  
"Oh, Violet, I'm sorry I had to embarrass you like that, but I wanted to teach that guard a lesson," said Minister Watson as he embraced Violet.  
  
"It's all right, George, don't worry about it. I'm used to it."  
  
Meanwhile, the two girls were talking excitedly about the train ride.  
  
"I heard that a fat witch brings around snacks for us. I'll have to ask Dad for some more money," said Gwen, ever the blunt one.  
  
"Yes, I need to get some from Aunt Violet as well."  
  
The train whistled loudly. Violet turned to Lily and began crying.  
  
"Oh, all right Lils, be good, and (sniff) don't be mean to the other children and (sniff) I hope you get into Gryffindor, and (sniff) - oh, I'm going to miss you so much!" They hugged tightly and a few tears escaped Lily's eyes.  
  
"I love you, Aunt Violet," she said quietly.  
  
"Oh, Lily I love you too! You mean more to me than I could ever put into words!"

The two parted as the train whistled for the last time.  
  
"Come on, Lily!" Gwen called as they hauled their trunks on board. No sooner had Lily stepped onto the train that it began moving. She ran to the nearest window and waved to her aunt until the train rounded a bin and she couldn't see her anymore.  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Gwen as they moved along the train, looking for an empty compartment.  
  
Lily wiped her eyes on her black robes that she had already changed into and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine." Gwen grinned and nodded.  
  
"Oy! Lily! Gwen! In here!" A familiar voice called. It was Sirius Black, beckoning the two girls into a compartment slightly ahead of them.  
  
Gwen stopped dead. "No. There is no way I'm sharing a compartment with those - those boys! "  
  
"Do come on, Gwen! They're not that bad!" Lily said exasperatedly as she pulled her friend by the sleeve.  
  
They entered the compartment to see James and Sirius, each taking up three seats, eating sweets that Lily recognized as Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. And when they said every flavor, though Lily with a shudder, they mean every flavor! She had had the unpleasant surprise when she bit into a gray one that was metal-flavored. Remus was sitting in the middle of the floor, yet he looked content, biting into a bar of chocolate.  
  
"Hi girls," said James as he looked up and grinned, causing Lily's stomach to flip-flop. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, and she hurriedly looked away.  
  
"Hiya!" said Sirius enthusiastically as he jumped up and shoved a Chocolate Frog in Gwen's face.  
  
"Argh, Sirius! Get that thing away from me! I'm allergic to chocolate!" she exclaimed, causing Sirius to drop the frog, which, upon impact, shattered into a thousand pieces. Gwen immediately began itching her eyes and sneezing.  
  
"Oh, good job Sirius! I'm taking her out of here and we won't come back until you prats clean up!" Lily glared at Sirius and then led her friend out of the compartment.  
  
Gwen finally stopped sneezing, and looked like she would kill Sirius. Lily didn't doubt it. They got up from the chairs in the girl's loo and started down the hallway. Suddenly something jumped out of a compartment and gave them a fright.  
  
"And who are you lovely ladies?" asked a cute boy with white blonde hair who looked to be about two years older than Gwen and Lily. There was a small boy with greasy black hair standing slightly behind them.  
  
"Who's asking?" Gwen demanded.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy," the blonde haired boy said smoothly, "and this is Severus Snape." He gestured to the boy behind him.  
  
"Lily Evans," said Lily, making an effort to ease the tension by extending her hand to Lucius.  
  
"Don't touch him!" Gwen shrieked suddenly. Lily jerked her hand back, alarmed.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because, he's a Malfoy," she stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"What's that-"  
  
"Yes, I'm a Malfoy, who are you?" Lucius demanded.  
  
"Gwen Watson," she proclaimed importantly.  
  
"Gwen Watson? The Minister's daughter?" Severus piped up in amazement.  
  
"Yes, that's me," she said, throwing her nose into the air, "and everyone knows that the Watson's and the Malfoy's do not associate." With that, she grabbed Lily's hand and pushed past Lucius and Severus.  
  
"Wait," said Lucius, grabbing Lily's other arm, "That doesn't mean this pretty girl is a Watson." He smiled, revealing two rows of straight, white teeth.  
  
"No, she's not, but she is my best friend!" 

Lucius looked from one girl to the other and smirked.  
  
"C'mon, Lily. Sit with my friends and I. Everyone knows that Slytherin is the best house to be in, and that's my house." He still had not released her arm.  
  
"Let go of her, you asshole! Come on Lily!" Gwen urged while pulling Lily harder.  
  
"What's going on here?" A voice called. James was standing in front of them with Sirius at his heels. He saw Lily, struggling to get her arm free, and finally noticed Lucius. "Malfoy, you bastard, what the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"Just taking Lily here to meet my friends. What's it to you, Potter?" Lucius snarled.  
  
"Let go of me!" Lily yelled, finally not being able to take it anymore. James raised his wand and put it on Lucius' forehead.  
  
"Let go of her Malfoy," he said in a deathly calm voice, "or I'll hex you into next week."  
  
"Oh really, Potter? A little first year? I know magic that would make your toes curl, that that Mudblood-loving fool Dumbledore wouldn't even dream of teaching," he sneered.  
  
Then all hell broke loose. James, forgetting his wand totally, launched him self onto Lucius with Sirius right behind him. Gwen pointed her wand at Lucius at the same time and yelled, "_Expelliarmus!" causing him, along with James and Sirius, to go flying into the train wall. When they hit with a crunch, it shook slightly. Gwen looked astonished with herself, as did Lily.  
  
Compartment doors were flung open and a tall, redheaded boy with a long nose and a silver Head Boy badge approached, his wand ready.  
  
"What in Merlin's name happened here?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"I saw it all!" exclaimed Snape, stepping forward quickly. "Lucius was introducing himself to that pretty redheaded girl over there-" he thumbed towards Lily, "when Potter and Black tackled him at the same time the Minister's daughter-" here he gestured to Gwen, and there were gasps among the crowd of students, "yelled '__Expelliarmus' and they all went blasting into the wall."  
  
The tall redhead looked skeptically at him. "Would you care to tell me your side of the story, er, what did you say your name was?" he looked at Lily. She was suddenly unable to speak as her fear of being the center of attention kicked in again, so Gwen launched into the total story, emphasizing on the part where Lucius wouldn't let Lily go.  
  
"All right, everyone, get back into your compartments! Now! Nothing more to see here!" A squat girl with red hair like the Head Boy's emerged from the crowd with a glistening Head Girl badge on once Gwen's story was finished. "Now!" she barked. There was something about the girl that demanded obedience, so the hall quickly emptied as the students went back into their compartments, whispering excitedly about the events that had taken place.  
  
The Head Girl walked over to Lily and Gwen while the Head Boy went to check on the boys.  
  
She smiled warmly. "Hi, I'm Molly Brown, and that's Arthur Weasley. We're Head boy and girl. Both in Gryffindor, mind. Are you all right?" she asked Lily concernedly. Lily rubbed her arm where Lucius had it in a death grip.  
  
"Yes, I think so. I'm Lily Evans and this is Gwen Watson."  
  
"Molly! Come here! One of them's been knocked out!" Molly rushed over to Arthur with Gwen and Lily at her heels.  
  
"James!" Lily exclaimed as she knelt down next to him. He was out cold. Lucius got up and sauntered away, a little unsteadily, with a last look of venom directed to Sirius, Lily, and Gwen. Luckily, none of them noticed. They were too busy worrying about their friend.  
  
"What in the world happened?!" exclaimed Remus as he approached them, looking bewildered. Molly turned her evil eye on him.  
  
"I told ALL STUDENTS to stay in their compartments!"  
  
"No, Molly, it's okay, he's their best friend!" said Gwen quickly.  
  
Molly's look softened. "Oh, all right then, I'm sorry." _

Gwen quickly filled Remus in on what happened in the hallway.  
  
Arthur lifted James up easily and carried him into the Head boy and girl compartment. Lily looked around in amazement. They had definitely gotten the better seating arrangements. There was thick, squishy carpet underfoot, and the whole compartment was decorated in scarlet and gold since both the Head boy and girl were Gryffindors. Instead of seats, there were two very comfortable looking couches, and it looked as though they had their own personal candy shop in the corner. Arthur placed James carefully on one of the couches. After conferring with Molly briefly, he pointed his wand at James. 

"_Enervate!" _

James' eyes snapped open and he looked around groggily. His glasses had been broken neatly into two pieces. Molly tapped them with her wand and they instantly mended. She handed them to him and he put them on quickly.  
  
"What happened? Last thing I remember was Gwen yelling '_Expelliarmus' and being thrown backwards. My head hurts a lot."  
  
"Shh, it's alright, you were unconscious, but you're fine now," Molly soothed while stroking his hair. "Arthur, go and owl Professor Dumbledore, please," she commanded. Arthur grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and began scribbling a note.  
  
James smiled at his friends pale faces. "I'm all right guys!" Their faces broke into grins and they all began talking at once. They stayed for the rest of the journey in the Head boy and girl compartment, and time passed quickly.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
When the train stopped in Hogsmeade station, the five were directed by Molly to go stand where a very large man was yelling, "Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" named Hagrid.  
  
When all the "firs' years" had assembled, they set down a well-worn path through a forest. They turned around a bend and a truly amazing sight met their eyes. Hogwarts castle was perched on a mountain, looming over the glassy black lake that was fathoms deep. They walked to the bank, tripping the entire way because they were only paying attention to the great castle that was to be their home for the next ten months.  
  
Hargrid the giant directed them into boats where four were only allowed, but Lily snuck on and was wedged between James and Sirius, much to their pleasure and Remus and Gwen's amusement.  
  
They stepped out onto the bank and Hagrid pounded on the great wooden door with his huge fist three times. A young yet stern looking witch with raven hair pulled tightly back into a strict bun opened the door. She ordered the first years to follow her, and she led them into a room off of the entrance hall, which was the biggest room Lily had ever seen. The ceiling was not visible, it stretched up so high.  
  
"I am Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress, head of Gryffindor House, and Transfiguration teacher. In a few moments, you will pass through these doors to be sorted. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Each house is different, but has its own noble, and equally impressive as the other's, history. I will come and fetch you in just a moment. Please try to make yourselves presentable." And with that, she turned and went through a large door, her black robes billowing out behind her.  
  
Lily shivered with nervousness. Even Gwen, who rarely showed fear, was biting her nails and looking extremely pale.  
  
"My- my mum and dad wouldn't tell me what we had to do to be sorted! My dad was about to tell me, but then my mum walked in and scolded him, telling him it was a tradition not to tell!" Everyone else remained quiet, each looking very nervous. Severus Snape, on the other hand, was looking extremely smug. He strutted up to the group with a smirk.  
  
"You don't know what we have to do to be sorted, do you? Well, I sure do! We have to battle a huge dragon, that breathes fire, and if you get burned, they send you back home!"  
  
"That is not true, Snape!" James exclaimed, but his voice trembled, betraying his fear. Lily trembled and grabbed Gwen's hand.  
  
"Oh, isn't it, Potter?"  
  
Suddenly, the great oak doors flew open and Professor McGonagall walked in and assembled the first years into a line.  
  
They walked into the huge Great Hall. Lily looked around. There were four long tables and one long table at the front where the staff sat. In the middle of the table was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He was dressed in midnight-blue robes dotted with stars. He had a long, auburn beard and hair that was partially a silvery gray. He gave the first years a reassuring smile, and Lily felt slightly better. Surely a nice man like that wouldn't make them fight a fire-breathing dragon. Or she hoped.  
  
Suddenly, the doors banged open and a tall, gruff looking man walked in, holding a stool and a-a hat? The first years gasped in surprise. Lily was wondering whether they would have to wave their wands and pull a rabbit out of the hat like the Muggle magicians did. Well, come to think of it, they probably were real wizards. she mused. Suddenly, a rip in the brim opened and the hat began to sing. (I apologize for the lack of song, but I'm no good with poetry!!! I'm sorry!!)  
  
When it was done with its song, the whole hall applauded. Lily breathed a sigh of relief and loosened her grip and Gwen's hand. All they had to do was put the hat on! She could have jumped up and down with happiness.  
  
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long role of parchment. "When I call your name, you will come up and try the hat on, then go and sit with your house." She instructed.  
  
"Arnold, Alicia!" A tall girl with blonde hair rushed forward and tried on the hat.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" It shouted. The table decorated with green and silver hangings applauded and cheered as Alicia joined them.  
  
"Bensons, John!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Black, Sirius!" Sirius strode up to the stool and placed the hat on his head. The hat took barely two seconds in saying, "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily and Gwen applauded loudly for him.  
  
"Bodie, Asher!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Carmody, Brennan!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Dustin, Carole!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Emory, Sarah!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Evans, Lily!" Lily's stomach lurched and she nervously made her way to the stool. She picked up the hat and jammed it on her head hard.  
  
"Ah, Lily Evans...yes...oh my! You are special...very special...but you won't know why until you are older...not Hufflepuff, no, Ravenclaw? No, no, ah yes. Slytherin will be perfect. But wait...you have an incredible amount of bravery...oh my..."  
  
"No, not Slytherin! Please!" Lily thought as tears came to her eyes.  
  
"I think you are right. Let's go with GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted Gryffindor out to the whole hall. The Gryffindor table erupted with cheers again. Molly Brown and Arthur Weasley were yelling the loudest along with Sirius. Lily flashed them a smile. She hugged Sirius and sat down next to him.  
  
They waited in nervous anticipation for the rest of their friends to be sorted.  
  
"Lupin, Remus!" Remus walked forward and put the hat on his head. It took a few minutes before proclaiming him a Gryffindor. Lily and Sirius applauded and made room for him to sit on the other side of Sirius.  
  
The next Gryffindor was Miller, Hayley! who sat across from Lily. Finally, after Pettigrew, Peter! Was welcomed as a Gryffindor-  
  
"Potter, James!" James strode up confidently, but Lily knew he was just pretending. Just as it had with Sirius, the hat touched his head and he instantly became a Gryffindor.  
  
Snape, Severus became a Slytherin in the blink of an eye, of course.  
  
Gwen was nervously biting her nails in the short line of un-sorted students. After a girl with brown, corkscrew curls like Lily's became a Gryffindor (Wampler, Mary Katherine!), it was Gwen's turn.  
  
"Watson, Gwen!" Whispers rang throughout the hall with the mention of the Minister's last name. Lily reached over and grabbed James' hand and squeezed her eyes shut. After a few moments, Gwen was proclaimed a Gryffindor. She got the loudest applause of them all. Lily jumped up and hugged her best friend tightly and they sat down together. She hardly paid attention to the rest of the ceremony because she was busy thanking her lucky stars that all her friends were made Gryffindor's.  
  
Finally, after Zimmerman, Thomas was made a Hufflepuff, Dumbledore stood up and beamed around at the students.  
  
"Welcome to another year here at Hogwarts. I would like to go over the traditional start of term notices. First of all, all students need to remember that the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden. Any student caught in it will be punished. Secondly, third years and up are welcome to visit the town of Hogsmeade on weekends when trips are planned. And, there has been a tree called the Whomping Willow that has been planted just outside the forest. Please do not go near it, as it is rather vicious. Also, our head boy and girl this year are both Gryffindors. Would Arthur Weasley and Molly Brown please stand up?" There was a loud round of applause from the Gryffindor table and the other houses, except Slytherin, applauded politely. "Lastly, I would like to ask that Miss Lily Evans, Miss Gwen Watson, Mr. Lucius Malfoy, Mr. James Potter, Mr. Sirius Black, Miss Brown and Mr. Weasley to please stay behind when the feast is over. Now, dig in." He proclaimed, and more food than Lily had ever seen in her life was before her. They all ate steadily, until Mary Katherine piped up.  
  
"Why do you all have to stay late?"  
  
Lily and Gwen shared a look. "We'll tell you late, okay, Mary Katherine?"  
  
"Sure, that's fine." She smiled hesitantly and Lily and Gwen smiled back.  
  
After a loud and slightly off-key rendition of the school song, all of the student's, except the seven that were asked to stay, left noisily through the doors.  
  
They approached Dumbledore nervously, but he smiled at them over his gold spectacles. "Yes, Minerva, I see we have a nice crop of Gryffindor's this year." Professor McGonagall gave a rare smile and nodded her head. "Now, on to more serious business. Mr. Weasley wrote a very interesting owl to me on the train. Would you care to elaborate, Miss Evans?"  
  
Lily nervously told the story of what happened on the train, with James, Gwen, and Sirius adding in parts where they were necessary. Gwen blushed scarlet when they came to the part when she used 'Expelliarmus' on the boys, but to her surprise, Dumbledore laughed. Lucius remained unusually quiet throughout the story.  
  
When is was over, Dumbledore looked at them over the rims of his spectacles thoughtfully. "Mr. Malfoy, is there anything you would like to add?"  
  
Malfoy's face turned red. "Yes, there is. All I was doing was trying to introduce myself to Lily here, when Potter and Black threw themselves at me!" There were immediately outbursts from the students and they started arguing ferociously. Dumbledore had to shoot a purple firecracker from his wand to get them quiet.  
  
"Now, here is what I am going to do. Misters Potter, Black, and Malfoy will receive a detention, as will Miss Watson." Gwen made a noise of outrage, but Dumbledore silenced her with a wave of his hand. "I am sorry, Miss Watson, but I must give you a detention because you are not supposed to use magic on the train. Mr. Weasley did only because it was an emergency. Although, I must say, I have never seen any first year with that powerful disarming spell!" He chuckled and Gwen grinned in spite of herself. "Your father has always been quite good at disarming. I daresay he taught you that one?"  
  
"Yes, sir!" She said proudly.  
  
"Very well, very well. Now off to bed with all of you! Your heads of houses will schedule your detentions. Good night!" They bid the Headmaster good night and set off to bed. The new Gryffindor's were so tired, they hardly noticed where they were going, but it was taking forever. They suddenly stopped in front of a portrait of a very fat lady in a silk pink dress. "Password?" She squawked. Arthur and Molly explained to the first years that this was then entrance to Gryffindor tower and you had to tell the Fat Lady the password in order to get in. "Pig Snout," said Molly. The portrait swung open, revealing a hole in the wall. They climbed through and entered a room decorated in scarlet and gold colors that was practically deserted. It had many couches, tables and squashy chairs scattered around.  
  
"This," said Arthur, "is the common room. We meet here to study or just socialize, whatever. The boy's stairs are to the right and the girls to the left. Molly will show you girls where your dorm is and I'll show the boys where theirs are." The girls said good night to the boys and they glimpsed Molly giving Arthur a kiss on the lips. They all made faces at each other before going up to bed.  
  
"Molly," said Gwen as they headed up the spiral stairs to their dormitory, "do you fancy Arthur?" She asked with a sly smile.  
  
"Yes," she replied without a trace of embarrassment. "He's so wonderful!"  
  
The girls giggled at her and said a joint "Ew!"  
  
"One day, you won't think that. Believe me, it will be quite the opposite."  
  
"Ugh, whatever!" said Lily.  
  
Molly just smiled knowingly. She showed them to a door that said "First Year Girls". They bid Molly good night and got into their nightclothes quietly to not wake Hayley and Mary Katherine up. The last two four-poster beds were beside each other thankfully, so they climbed in with a quick good night to each other and fell asleep immediately.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, the first year girls all went down to breakfast together. They had to follow a bunch of fifth years to get there. They gaped at how big the castle was, and once again, did not pay attention to where they were going.  
  
"Morning!" she chirped as she sat down next to Remus.  
  
"Hi, Lily," he said in a tired voice. She looked at him closely. He did look rather pale, come to think of it. She frowned and turned back to her breakfast.  
  
When she was about halfway through her porridge, there was a rustling overhead and a swarm of owls flew in, each carrying a letter or package. They swooped over their owners and dropped their parcels, maybe stopping for a sip of pumpkin juice or a nibble or toast. Lily wasn't surprised when her own owl flew toward her.  
  
"Iris!" she greeted the owl cheerfully, untied the letter, and gave her a bit of bacon. Iris nipped Lily's finger affectionately and flew off. Lily had left her with her aunt so Violet could send the owl to Lily when she arrived at Hogwarts. She eagerly ripped open the envelope. The letter read:  
  
__Dearest Lily,  
  
How are you, darling? You've only been gone a day but everyone here already misses you. What house did you get into? What about Gwen? Have you made any new friends yet? I'm sure you will. How is Sirius? I'm almost positive he, James, and Remus got into Gryffindor. How are your studies coming? I'm so happy you have been accepted! Now, Lily, I know that you are curious about what I am, but you will find out soon enough. Albus (Professor Dumbledore) showed me your schedule, and I believe you will find out today. Please pay attention in History of Magic. Believe me, I know it is hard, but try. I must dash, I have a lunch date with Orion! Love you so much! Ella and Cookie send hugs as well! Write me as soon as you have a moment!  
  
Love,  
  
Your Aunt Violet  
  
Lily smiled happily. Gwen read the letter over her shoulder. "I s'pose we had better pay attention in History of Magic, then. I already know what an Advisor is, my dad told me, but I wasn't really listening," she grinned sheepishly.  
  
"First years! Here are your timetables! Please take care to not lose them!" Professor McGonagall began handing out the schedules. Lily eagerly scanned the paper for History of Magic.  
  
"Oh," she said, disappointed, "it's not 'till last period!"  
  
"What?" asked James.  
  
"History of Magic!" she complained.  
  
"What's wrong with that? My dad says it's boring," he said, wrinkling his nose.  
  
"Yes, but Aunt Violet told me I would get to find out what she is!"  
  
James' eyes got big. "You don't know the powers of the Adviser?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Blimey! And she's your own aunt!" said Sirius, catching the last few sentences.  
  
"Tell me!" Lily begged.  
  
Remus opened his mouth to tell her all about the Adviser, but James cut him off.  
  
"No, lets just wait until History of Magic. Make her suffer," he said with a nasty grin.  
  
"Ja-ames!"  
  
"Nope," he said finally, leaning back in his chair. Gwen scowled.  
  
"Told you he was a know-it-all prat," she said loudly.  
  
"Yeah," said Hayley. "C'mon girls. We've got Charms first. It's going to take us a while to get there, so we'd better start now." The others agreed, and they gathered their bags and set off.  
  
They had to ask a sixth year Hufflepuff for help. He gladly showed them the way, and they skidded into class seconds before it began. To their immense surprise, the three boys were already there.  
  
"How did you do it?" Gwen hissed suspiciously as they sat down. Sirius just smirked and turned to face the tiny teacher.  
  
"Hello class!" he squeaked. "I am Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. For our first lessons, we will be practicing wrist movements, and then you will all try to make feathers fly." They took notes for about thirty minutes. "Now, remember class," said Professor Flitwick, "Its swish and flick! Swish and flick! No, Miss Watson, not flick and swish, SWISH and…FLICK! Very good, Miss Evans…Potter, what __are you doing?" _

~*~*~*~*  
  
The rest of the day went by rather quickly, because, of course, Lily was having fun. Finally, the class she had really been looking forward to came. The first year Gryffindors sat down in the room with the first year Ravenclaws and waited expectantly. A very, very old man entered and sat down behind his desk.  
  
"Hello, class. I am Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher," he said in a boring, monotonous voice. "Today I will be talking about the Adviser." Lily eagerly took out her parchment and prepared to take notes. At first, all he droned on about was the first Adviser, but then he started in with the good stuff.  
  
"There is an Adviser alive currently, by the name of Violet Wellington. She is the first Adviser the world has seen for two hundred years.  
  
"An Adviser's powers show on the night before their thirteenth birthday. Up until then, the only way you can find out if someone is an Adviser is by performing the extremely complicated Revealing Ceremony, and in order to execute it, there must be another Adviser there and willing to see if the person in question shows powers of being an Adviser.  
  
"An Adviser's powers are: They can tell if anyone is lying and if they are, the Adviser has the power's to go inside that person's head and find the truth. Legends talk of some Adviser's who were able to tap into their inner powers and therefore performing very strong and wandless magic, but, as I said, those are just legends. 

"Adviser's usually excel in either Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts. There is only one thing that can influence the Adviser, because the Imperious Curse will not work on them. This thing is called the Staff of Metrusia. Metrusia was an evil Dark wizard who dated from around 444 B.C. He wanted the Adviser at the time, named Archenion, to move to the Dark side, but Archenon refused. So, Metrusia made the staff and the words to start the spell that will place the Adviser totally under your control are written on the staff. The staff's whereabouts are unknown, but it is believed to be buried in the caves of the Himalayan Mountains. Adviser's make excellent law-wizards and are in demand all the time. That's all for today, class. Next we will be going over the Goblin Rebellion of 400B.C."  
  
Lily stood up shakily.  
  
"Whoa. I'm glad the Staff of Whatshisface is buried! Aren't you?" Gwen said as they left the classroom.  
  
"Yeah," she said quietly, not really aware of her surroundings.  
  
That night, she stayed awake until God knows when. Her last though was, _Yes, I am glad that staff is buried... before she drifted into a deep sleep.  
  
A/N: Did you like it?? Did you think my definition of an Adviser was stupid?! I hope not! Please review! And email me too! _


	5. The Christmas Holiday

A/N: Hi! As always, thank you for reviewing. It makes me so happy! ( Anyway, here's Chapter 5. Kinda mushy, but only b/t Violet and Orion. I love them! ::sighs:: Oh, and I'm sorry for the wait, but I've been in Disney World! It was so much fun! Anyway, on with the fic!  
  
Thanks to Steph, Hermione Gulliver, YouWorstNightmare (who is my inspiration!) and lastly, my awesome beta-reader, SnowLily62!! Luv you guys!!   
  
**Disclaimer: I don't own anything here except Violet, Gwen, Orion, Celeste, and anyone else you don't recognize! Please don't sue me.  
  
The Story of Lily  
  
Chapter 5: The Christmas Holiday  
  
Ever since that History of Magic class on Lily's first day, she had been stopping in the library whenever possible to find out more on her aunt. It all seemed to be the same stuff - and she couldn't find the Staff of Metrusia anywhere. On one such day, after she had just had her first flying lesson (which ended with a very bruised and bloodied knee for Lily) she made a noise of frustration and slammed the huge book closed. She stomped out of the library, and the minute the doors closed behind her, Sirius Black jumped out in front of her and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Sirius! What are you doing?! I need oxygen, you know!" He stepped back and grinned.  
  
"Sorry Lils," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but I'm just so excited!"  
  
"Why?" she asked irritably, starting on her way to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Because of this!" He waved a piece of parchment in front of her. She snatched it from him and read:  
  
_Dear Lily and Sirius-  
  
We are so thrilled that you are in the same house! And Gryffindor, too! We've more exciting news- we're getting married! Of course, both of you are in the ceremony. We have arranged for it to be on January first. Dumbledore will be marrying us, of course. We are inviting the Potter's, Lupin's, and Watson's: Mrs. Watson is to be the Matron of Honor and Mr. Potter is the Best Man. Gwen is also in the ceremony – she'll be partnered with James. Minister Watson and Mrs. Lupin are partnered. Mr. Lupin and Mrs. Potter are our ring bearers as well. Little Celeste is the flower girl. The ceremony is taking place in Orion's back yard, and we sincerely hope that you are all right with this. We love you, arlings, and we'll see you first day of Christmas break!  
  
Lots of Love,  
  
Violet and Orion  
  
Lily's bad mood was gone quicker than a flash of lightning.  
  
"Oh goodness! Sirius! We're going to be related!" They hugged each other and skipped back to Gryffindor tower. "We have to tell the others!"  
  
They arrived in the common room moments later and found James, Remus, and Gwen sitting on a couch in front of the fire doing homework.  
  
"Sirius! You're back! You left in such a hurry, we were afraid something was wrong!" exclaimed James, looking up from whatever he was writing.  
  
"Nope, old buddy, nothing's wrong! My dad and Lily's aunt are getting married!"  
  
"Oh my heavens!" squealed Gwen as she jumped off the couch and the two eleven year old girls danced around in happiness.  
  
"Yeah, and that's not all of it! You all are all in the ceremony! Gwen is a bridesmaid and so is Lily; James, me, and Remus are all groomsmen; James, your dad is the Best Man and Gwen, your mum is the Matron of Honor; Remus, your dad and Mrs. Potter are ring-bearer's; Minister Watson and Mrs. Lupin are partnered as well! Oh, and Celeste is the flower girl," he added as an afterthought.  
  
"Oh, I can't wait! This will be so fun! And it's set for New Year's Day!" Lily exclaimed happily.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Lily!" Lily rushed to Violet and they hugged tightly. It was the first day of the Christmas holidays, and the students had just gotten off the Hogwarts Express. Lily turned to Orion and smiled brightly.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Black," she said politely. To her surprise, Orion lifted her off the ground in a big bear hug.  
  
"Hello, Lily! And, please," he said, while smiling at putting her back on her feet, "don't call me Mr. Black. It makes me feel old. Call me Orion, or Uncle Orion, whichever." He grinned at his fiancée charmingly. She laughed and they kissed briefly.  
  
"Now, come on kids! We're all going together out to dinner. You must be starving!" said Orion as he led them to the limousine. Sirius clutched his stomach and rolled his eyes. He had had quite a few Bertie Bott's beans on the train. Lily scanned the crowd quickly and immediately spotted her best friend rushing towards her.  
  
"Bye Lils! I'll look in my library for anything of the Staff of Whatshisface, kay?" The two girls hugged and Lily pulled back with a stern expression.  
  
"Gwen, it's the Staff of Metrusia, for the thousandth time! How are you going to look if you don't even know its name?!"  
  
"Oh, I would recognize it if I saw it," Gwen shrugged innocently.  
  
Lily smiled in spite of her self. "Gwen, you're so silly. I'll see you on the twenty fifth for Christmas dinner, if not before."  
  
"Yeah, okay. I'll owl you!"  
  
"Lily!" came her aunt's voice.  
  
"Coming, Aunt Violet! Bye Gwen!" they girls hugged again and Lily raced to the car. She didn't notice the disappointed expression on James Potter's face when she didn't hear him bidding her goodbye.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mademoiselle Lilee!" Ella's voice sounded in Lily's ear. "You 'ave to go bee fitted for your dress!" She rolled the blinds up in her room and sunlight poured through. Ella was a wedding planner, trained in both Muggle and magical weddings. She would, of course, be in charge.  
  
Lily sat up a bit dizzily. She got dressed quickly in her Muggle clothes since they were going to a Muggle wedding shop. Violet insisted upon her wedding being Muggle-style because she had grown up dreaming and planning her wedding that way, even after she knew about magic. She was adamant about it, even though the entire guest list was witches and wizards.  
  
Lily, Ella, and Violet ate a quick breakfast and drove into downtown London. They stopped outside a bridal boutique called Wedding's by Isabel. It was a very expensive shop, but money really was not an issue for the Black's and Violet.  
  
"Gwen!" Lily cried as she rushed to her friend.  
  
Gwen spun around and smiled. "Lily! Would you look at that?" she lowered her voice to a whisper and pointed to a phone that was on the wall. "Dad says they're called helliphones!"  
  
Lily laughed at her friend's awed expression. "Gwen! There not called helliphones, there called telephones!" she burst out laughing again. Gwen looked disgruntled.  
  
"Well, whatever," but she too couldn't resist the urge to laugh. "This is so neat," she burst suddenly. "Look at how pretty the dresses are! Definitely prettier than any old wedding robe." Lily agreed and they looked at all the dresses in the large shop. Members of the wedding party arrived one-by-one, and finally all were assembled. They had decided that, since Violet's father was dead, that Orion's father would walk her down the isle.  
  
"Alright, everyone! We will bee fitting ze men first so we can fit ze bride wizout ze groom seeing! It iz a Muggle tradition, by zee way, and I want to do it all zeir way!" There were nods of understanding from the people gathered around her. She immediately set to work. All of the males would be in smart black tuxedos with a red rose boutonniere. Lily privately thought that James looked most handsome in his suit. When they were finished, Ella shooed them all out and told them to meet at a fancy restaurant in downtown London for dinner at around seven o'clock, in costume (dressed as a Muggle).  
  
Finally, all the women were alone. With two sharp claps of her hands, Ella had their attention. "Alright, ladieez. We will begin with ze bride since she is most likely to take ze longest, and deepending on her dress, we will zen be able to determine ze colors of ze bridesmaid's dresses. Now, Mademoiselle (soon to bee Madame) Violet, pleeze stand on ze stand and I will get dresses for you to try on."  
  
Ella really was a professional, and anyone could tell she loved her job. Her brown eyes sparkled with each dress Violet tried on. Finally, after many gowns, they found the perfect one. Even picky Gwen fell in love with it.  
  
It was white satin embroidered with little white flowers on the top. It had off the shoulder sleeves. It was tight to her waist and then flowed down gracefully in a three-foot trail. The veil was like a crown that rested on her head and flowed down almost as long as the trail. It truly was perfection.  
  
They all decided that the appropriate bridesmaid color would be violet. It took a few inconspicuous taps of her wand on some dresses to make it the perfect shade. Lily, Mrs. Potter, and Gwen were the models; they tried on at least five dresses each. Finally, they found the best dress.  
  
It was made of the same satin material as Violet's dress. I had thin straps and a tight top. It looked stunning on the three of them, as it did on Mrs. Lupin and Celeste. Mrs. Watson's dress was a little bit different – it had flowers embroidered in the top like Violet's. They were the same color violet as the dress. All the bridesmaids were wearing violet veils that had a silver base, but Mrs. Watson's base was gold like Violet's. They found shoes – spiked violet pumps that matched – and a little basket with violet and white colored ribbons decorating it for Celeste to carry.  
  
Dinner was a very enjoyable affair, what with the children sitting by themselves at one table and the grown ups at another, giving the eleven year-olds a sense of freedom that they rather enjoyed. They parted very late that night, but they would all be seeing each other in two days for Christmas day dinner at the Potter's. This time Lily and James hugged, causing them both to blush crimson. Luckily only Remus noticed, and he just gave the two a knowing smile and walked away.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Lily woke up on Christmas morning very early. She had not been able to sleep the previous night because it was her first Christmas with a family. With someone who loved her.  
  
She jumped out of bed excitedly and opened the heavy drapes and looked outside. It was mostly dark except for a faint pink tinge on the horizon, and her smile faded a bit. There was no way Aunt Violet would be up. She still had a nasty habit of sleeping until two o'clock in the afternoon, but she rarely had that privilege. Lily pulled on her yellow fluffy bathrobe and matching slippers. She silently padded down the hall and peaked into her aunt's room. Sure enough, there was a large lump that was Aunt Violet in the middle of the large bed. Lily shut the door quietly and went downstairs. The magnificent twenty-foot tall Christmas tree faced her from inside the large living room. Lily herself had helped decorate the tree. Well, the branches she could reach, at least.  
  
She wandered into the kitchen to find Cookie busily fixing Christmas breakfast. It smelled delicious.  
  
"Morning, Cookie," she said as she sat down in one of the tall chairs facing the counter.  
  
"Oh, Lily! My, you gave me a fright! Happy Christmas, dear." She hugged Lily tightly. "Oh, look now, I've got flour on your nose!" Lily giggled and Cookie rubbed it off. "Why in the world are you up so early, anyway? It's not even six thirty yet!"  
  
"I couldn't sleep," Lily said simply.  
  
Cookie nodded her head in understanding. "Ah," she said as she turned back to frying eggs.  
  
"Good morning, Mademoiselle Lilee, Cookie!"  
  
"Ella!" Lily hugged the brunette. "Happy Christmas!"  
  
"Happy Christmas to yoo!" Ella fastened on an apron and began frying bacon.  
  
About thirty minutes later, Lily made an impatient noise. "How long is it going to be until she wakes up?!" she complained.  
  
"Until who gets up?" came a female voice from the door.  
  
"Aunt Violet!" Lily jumped of her chair and hugged Violet.  
  
"Well, Happy Christmas to you too!" she laughed.  
  
"Can we go and open presents now?" Lily pleaded.  
  
"Actually, I think we should wait until tomorrow," said Violet with a straight face.  
  
Lily grinned. "Aunt Violet!"  
  
"Yes, I think that is an excellent idea." Violet smiled and they walked into the living room. Lily immediately went to her stocking first. Inside were five Galleons, a small teddy bear, and a lot of candy.  
  
"Here, Lils, open this one. It's from me." Violet handed her a long, thin package wrapped in brightly colored paper. Lily eagerly tore it open, and a shiny new broomstick fell out.  
  
"Oh, Aunt Violet! It's perfect!" It was the latest model, a Shooting Star. Lily hugged her aunt tightly.  
  
Her presents kept getting better and better. Violet cried when Lily gave her the scrapbook overflowing with pictures of the two of them. She had been working on it for weeks. It ended with a copy of the photo taken of them before the Ministry Ball.  
  
She got a golden ball from Gwen that, if you tapped it with your wand, would show you the person you thought the most of. Lily tapped it, and to her surprise, saw a picture of James. She quickly tapped it again; her cheeks stained red, and let her aunt have a try. Violet, of course, saw a picture of her fiancé. Lily had to tap it with her wand to stop Violet from staring at it with a dreamy expression for the entire day. She got a do-it-yourself prank book from Zonko's from Sirius. From Remus she received a box of Chocolate Frogs and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Even Peter, the small boy that had been following the group around had sent her a bar of Honeydukes Best Chocolate. Her favorite present, but not by far, was from James.  
  
It was a gorgeous silver frame engraved with lilies, and it held a picture of all five of them on the Hogwarts grounds. Lily was in the middle with James and Gwen on each side. She had her arms slung around both of them, and James's arm around her waist. She remembered clearly the tingling feeling that had given her. Sirius was on the other side of Gwen, and when she wasn't smiling and waving up at Lily, she was hitting Sirius. Mary Katherine was there with her arm around Sirius and Hayley. Remus was on the other side of James, looking weary and pale because he had been with his sick mother until late the night before. Even little Peter was jumping up and down in the background, trying to be seen by the camera. Lily almost cried at the sight of all her best friends, together and happy. She knew exactly where it would go – on her nightstand where she could look at it before she went to bed and when she woke up the next morning.  
  
The Black's came over for lunch. Orion and Violet kissed sweetly until Sirius yelled, "Get a room!" and they broke apart, their eyes shining.  
  
Orion gave Lily her gift first. It was in a small package tied with a green ribbon. When she opened it, she gasped. It was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.  
  
From top to bottom, it was a little under an inch long. It had a thin, emerald stem set in gold, which even had a wee leaf on it. Then it blossomed into a cut lily made of a single diamond. She sat there, stunned, until Orion gently took it from her and fastened it around her neck.  
  
"Oh, Orion, it's gorgeous!" Violet exclaimed breathlessly. Lily just got up and hugged her soon to be uncle tightly.  
  
"Thank you so much! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" she exclaimed as she pulled back. Orion's eyes were twinkling.  
  
"I knew you would like it. I saw it in Diagon Alley and immediately thought of you."  
  
Lily's afternoon passed in total bliss, and soon the Black's left. Lily and Violet had to race upstairs to get ready for the dinner at the Potter mansion because Orion, Sirius, and Celeste had left a lot later than they planned.  
  
They managed to be ready in time. Lily was wearing her newly bought red dress robes. Ella pulled her curly dark red hair halfway up and tied it with a green ribbon that matched her eyes perfectly.  
  
They set off with only moments to spare. Luckily, it was only the Lupin's, Watson's, Black's, and Potter's, so none of them would care if Lily and Violet were late.  
  
They stepped out of the limousine, their breath coming out in great puffs of steam. Violet rapped on the large front door and it was opened immediately by a House Elf. Lily had never known they existed until one night when she took a trip to the kitchens with Gwen and James at Hogwarts because they missed dinner.  
  
"Happy Christmas, misses," the tiny creature said eagerly while beckoning them inside.  
  
"Why, thank you, Sarie!" Violet said gratefully, happy to be out of the cold. "Bye the way, this is my niece, Lily Evans," she gestured to Lily.  
  
Sarie peered up at Violet with her purple, tennis-ball-sized eyes. "Would you be Miss Violet?"  
  
"Why, yes I am," Violet said, smiling, while hanging her and Lily's coats up on the rack.  
  
"Miss Violet! Sarie hasn't seen Miss Violet in a long while!"  
  
"Yes, I know, and I apologize."  
  
"Oh, no, no, not Miss Violet's fault, no, no. Miss Violet is a busy lady!" Sarie said while backing up, with her hands up in a surrendering fashion.  
  
Violet laughed, used to the House Elf's antics. "Are they in the living room?"  
  
"Oh, yes Miss Violet, they is in the living room. Sarie must go. Goodbye Miss Violet! Goodbye, Miss Lily!" And the little green creature rushed off hurriedly.  
  
Violet chuckled quietly and led Lily into a large room furnished with a huge fireplace and many items of furniture.  
  
"Violet!" Mr. Potter got up from his position on the couch and kissed her.  
  
"Hello, Harry. Happy Christmas!" Mr. Potter was a tall man with dark hair. He looked very much like James, minus the messy hair and glasses.  
  
"And how are you, Miss Lily?" he asked kindly while holding Lily's small hand in his large one.  
  
"Fine, thank you, Mr. Potter," she replied politely. He grinned and Lily got a very big sense of déjà vu-his smile was exactly the same as James'.  
  
Katharine Potter, a tall, thin beauty with raven-colored hair and brown eyes, also hugged Violet. "How are you dear? Not nervous about the wedding, I hope?" _**

Violet smiled and looked at Orion. Without breaking her eyesight from his, she smiled contently and said, "No, not at all." Katharine smiled knowingly and greeted Lily.  
  
"My, goodness, Lily! You've grown so much!" She gave Lily a motherly hug and whispered in her ear, "My James talks about you all the time, you know." Lily blushed scarlet and looked away. Unfortunately, her gaze rested on James, which made her go even redder, if possible. She turned away quickly. Katharine smiled at her and walked away.  
  
Mrs. Watson then hugged Lily and wished her a Happy Christmas, followed by her husband, who did the same. Finally, after greeting the Lupin's, Lily made her way to her friends; they were all sitting in a corner of the room.  
  
"Hi," she said brightly. Gwen turned to her.  
  
"Oh, Lily! I love the bracelet! I'm wearing it!" She pulled back her white dress robe sleeve to reveal a gold bracelet with '_Best' written in fine script on a plate. Engraved next to it was the cursive letter '__L' that was carved out of emeralds – the exact shade of Lily's eyes.  
  
"Oh, I'm glad you like it!" Lily exclaimed while pushing her robes back, also revealing a gold bracelet with a plate. Except, her script read '__Friends' and she had a small cursive '__G' carved out of a light blue sapphire, which was the exact same color as Gwen's eyes.  
  
Lily turned to Remus and smiled. "Thank you very much for the candy, Remus!"  
  
"Oh, it was nothing. Thank you for those lollipops. My hair turned bright green, with the first lick. Then it turned pink, and finally yellow. I stopped eating it after that. You know, I think I'll go give one to Sirius!" He grinned mischievously.  
  
"You're welcome." She turned finally to James and gathered up all the courage she could muster. "Thank you very much, James, for the picture." She looked down and nervously began twisting her fingers in knots. "It, er, means a lot to me." Then, blushing scarlet, she reached up on her tiptoes and gave James a peck on the cheek. She turned away to find Gwen immediately, leaving a very stunned James behind her.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Finally, New Year's Day came. Lily was awoken around nine o'clock by Gwen, who was looking very frantic. "Lily!" she shrieked. Lily looked around blearily and saw her best friend looking at her anxiously. "Lily, you have to get up, NOW! The ceremony is in two hours! They let you oversleep!" Lily jumped out of bed in alarm. She noticed with a started expression that Gwen was already in her gown. She rushed into her bathroom to brush her teeth with Gwen chattering on behind her.  
  
"And I just got here two minutes ago, and Ella, poor thing, had forgotten all about you. So when I asked where you were, she went all pale and really almost fainted. She said she had forgotten to wake you up, so I offered to come up here and get you. I haven't got my hair or makeup done yet, so we have to hurry!" She followed Lily to her wardrobe where Lily carefully pulled the violet gown out and slipped it on, getting Gwen to zip the back for her. She slipped on her tights and her violet heels. The two girls rushed down the stairs to see chaos in the front hall, and in the middle of it all, looking very calm while everyone else was hurrying around, was Violet.  
  
She was dressed in her beautiful wedding gown, and her blonde hair was in a bun with the veil over it. Her makeup was done, and she looked totally and completely composed and ready.  
  
When they stepped off the stairs, the girls were hurtled in two different directions by two different witches who were obviously makeup artists/ hairstylists. Lily had no idea where Gwen went, but she herself was taken to the large powder room and was plopped down on a tasseled stool in front of a large mirror. Then the makeup artist/hair stylist went to work. When Lily faced the mirror again, she gasped.  
  
The make up artist had done a brilliant job. No one would ever guess that she was eleven. Lily looked to be at __least thirteen.  
  
Her hair was in its ringlets, pulled into a looked-to-be-messy-but-really- wasn't bun, with pieces falling out artfully around her face. Her face had a light foundation that matched her skin perfectly, and there were no lines because it had been put on magically. She had on black eyeliner and violet shimmer eye shadow that went with her dress wonderfully. Her lips were pale pink. The witch motioned for her to stand up (Lily hadn't yet heard her speak) and she placed the silver-based veil on her head and thrust her a bouquet of violets and pushed her out the door.  
  
Lily wandered around, trying to find Gwen. Suddenly, a door to her left opened and someone came out and stumbled. Lily caught her and they turned to face each other with identical looks of shock.  
  
"Lily?!"  
  
"Gwen?!" _

They exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Whoa, Lily! You look twenty!" 

It was true for Gwen as well. Her long, thick, shiny black hair was back in a bun like Lily's, with ringlets surrounding her face. She had the exact same make up on as Lily, and it looked stunning on her. "Wait until James sees you! He'll fall flat on his face!" Gwen grinned and the two girls went to find Violet.  
  
"Wait – what?! James? Why do you say that?!" Lily demanded, facing her friend, a tell-tale scarlet spreading over her cheeks.  
  
"Well, it's obvious he likes you!" Gwen started walking again.  
  
Lily dragged behind, mulling this new information in her head. _No, no, she thought, __he doesn't like me. __Gwen doesn't have any idea as to what she's talking about.  
  
They found Violet by herself, looking out a window, evidently lost in thought. When she turned around and spotted the girls, she smiled, but she had a strange faraway look in her eyes, like she wasn't really seeing Gwen and Lily.  
  
"Oh, hello, girls... you look lovely..." and she moved rather dizzily back to the window and resumed her staring.  
  
"D'you – d'you think she's drunk?" Gwen whispered to Lily behind her hand.  
  
"I dunno...Let's go find your mum..." Gwen nodded and the two set off to find Mrs. Watson.  
  
They found her with a glass of wine sitting in the kitchen. "Gwendolyn! What in the world did they put on your face?!" Mrs. Watson nearly dropped her wineglass.  
  
"Mum," she replied impatiently, "it's called makeup. You have it on your face! But that's not why we need you…We think that Violet's drunk or something."  
  
"Violet? Drunk? Of all the ridiculous-" she trailed off at the serious looks on their faces. "You really do?" she asked wearily. They nodded their heads. "Oh, alright, take me to her."  
  
They found her in the exact same spot as before. "Hey, Vi? Violet? Violet!" Mrs. Watson waved a hand in front of Violet's face. The bride-to-be suddenly sprang to life and looked around, startled.  
  
"What?! Is it my turn?! Where's my bouquet?! I need my bouquet! I can't get married without a bouquet!" Violet began sounding hysterical.  
  
"Vi, it's okay! We still have about a half an hour before we leave. And don't worry, Ella has your bouquet," Mrs. Watson soothed.  
  
"Oh, alright...as long as I have my bouquet..." Violet suddenly burst into tears, alarming all around her. She slid down the wall and sat with her knees up to her chest, sobbing hysterically.  
  
"Violet!" Mrs. Watson flung herself down next to Violet and put her arms around her best friend. "Go find Ella, Gwendolyn! Now!" she commanded, and Gwen didn't hesitate in running to find her.  
  
"Vi, Vi, what's wrong?" Violet suddenly put her knees down and wiped her eyes on her dress.  
  
"Where – where's Lily?" she asked feebly.  
  
"I'm right here, Aunt Violet!" Lily sat down next to her and Violet smiled through her tears and took Lily's hands.  
  
"You look so much like you mother, it's painful. Your eyes...they're the same. Lily, I want you to know that I loved your mother very much. When she died, I – I didn't think I could live. We always planned our weddings together, and each time, we would be each other's maids of honor. I was at her wedding, and it's just empty without her!" She began sobbing again, and Lily began crying as well. They hugged each other for a long time, neither wanting the other to let go. "And, I just remembered how Iris had lilies for her flowers instead of irises, and how I said I wanted to have lilies too, or at least irises! And, I don't! I have stupid violets! Stupid, stupid violets! Where's Ella?"  
  
"I am right 'ere, Mademoiselle," said Ella, stepping forward from the crowd of women watching, water streaming from her eyes.  
  
"Will you change all of my bouquets flowers into lilies and irises?" Violet sniffled.  
  
"Of course, Mademoiselle. Right away." And she rushed away to get the bouquets and change their flowers.  
  
"Lily, your mother was the most wonderful, kind-hearted, brave, and most determined woman I've ever met. And if she was alive, I'm sure she would be extremely proud of you, just like I am." This brought forth-another wave of tears. "And she loved me, even though I was horrible to her sometimes, her love never lessened; just increased for me. Promise me you'll never change, Lily. Please."  
  
"I won't. I promise," Lily said solemnly, and they hugged again.  
  
"Mademoiselle, yoor bouquets..." Ella interrupted quietly.  
  
Violet smiled. "Thank you, Ella." She took the elaborate arrangement of lilies and irises from Ella. Ella handed Lily and the rest of the bridesmaids their new bouquets.  
  
Violet stood up shakily and offered her hand to Lily. The woman smiled. "I suppose my make up looks horrible now?"  
  
"No, it doesn't. Violet, you've forgotten it's magical, haven't you?" Mrs. Watson mock-scolded.  
  
"Oh, I suppose I did!" she laughed nervously.  
  
"I 'ate to be ze voice of reason, but I'm afraid someone 'as to bee. It iz time to go, ladiez." Said Ella. "Now, most of you will bee Apparating, and of course, ze little girls can't, so we will be taking zem by car. Now, everyone out!" _

The female part of the wedding party plus the female guests trooped outside. Many disappeared with a small 'pop!'. Violet, Mrs. Watson, Gwen, Lily, and Celeste climbed into the car and in a few moments, they were at the Black's.  
  
"Are you nervous, Vi?" Lily heard Mrs. Watson ask Violet as they were getting out of the car.  
  
"Nope, not at all. I know I'm doing the right thing. There's no doubt in my mind about Orion. He's perfect; everything I could ever want, and I love him with all my heart," she declared confidently.  
  
"I wish I had had your attitude when I was getting married," Mrs. Watson joked.  
  
Soon, they were at the front door and Ella opened it. She shooed Mrs. Watson and Violet into a back room with Mrs. Lupin and Mrs. Potter so they could have a heart-to-heart girl chat.  
  
"Now, girlz, yoo know who your partners are, do yoo not?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm with James and Lily's with Sirius. Although I bet she wishes it were the other way aro-" Lily clamped her hand over Gwen's mouth and gave her a look of venom as Gwen dissolved into giggles.  
  
"Alright, I must bee off! Ze minute you see yoor partners, please go and stand outside so I know where yoo are. Ah, and 'ere are our young groomsmen now! Go and geet een line! We start een fifteen minutes!" Ella shooed the four outside.  
  
"Yes, James, it is Lily! Now put your eyes back in their sockets, please, and do stop drooling!" Gwen grinned evilly at the bright magenta color that James turned and he looked away. Lily blushed and stepped on her friend's foot.  
  
"Ow! Lily!" Lily sent her a look that clearly said, "There's a lot more where that came from, so shut up if you know what's good for you".  
  
"Oh, there's Remus! Oy! Remus!" Sirius called over the heads of the guests. Remus shook his head and pointed to a sour-looking woman next to him. Sirius gave him thumbs up to show he understood.  
  
"Oh, honestly! Sirius, could you be ruder?" Lily demanded.  
  
"Actually, I probably could. Sorry," he added, not looking very sorry at all.  
  
Suddenly, the band began playing the song that Orion and Violet had picked out for the first part of the procession. Lily didn't know the name of it, but it was very sweet and beautiful.  
  
Celeste, with a nudge from Ella, began walking down the isle, throwing petals everywhere, amidst the 'ooh''s and 'how cute!' 's from the audience.  
  
Out of nowhere, Mrs. Watson and Mr. Potter began walking down the isle. Then, right after, Sirius and Lily were supposed to go. Lily forcefully dragged Sirius over to the edge of the red carpet and they began walking slowly down the isle. Mrs. Potter and Mr. Lupin followed them. After they had gone about ten steps, James and Gwen walked down, followed lastly by Mrs. Lupin and Minister Watson.  
  
Mrs. Watson and Mr. Potter parted so Lily had a clear view of the altar. Old Professor Dumbledore, in black dress robes with a gold wand embroidered on the breast (which signals that he could lawfully wed two people) was standing next to Orion, who had never looked more handsome. His face was lit with joy and there was a sparkle in his eyes that was unmistakably undying love for Violet. Lily and Sirius parted and Lily stood next to Mrs. Watson, who had tears streaming down her face.  
  
Soon, Mrs. Potter came to stand next to Lily, also with tears streaming down her face. Gwen who had a large smile on followed Mrs. Potter, and lastly, Mrs. Lupin joined them with – yep, you guessed it – water streaming from her eyes.  
  
Then the band played the wedding march, and the whole church got on their feet. Lily knew what Violet looked like, so she tried instead to see what Orion's facial expressions would be when he saw his fiancée.  
  
When she came into sight, his face turned to shock; then after the shock wore off, it was amazement; followed lastly by immeasurable love.  
  
Lily could hear someone bawling in the front row and saw it was Cookie, like she had thought. She turned her attention back to the ceremony, just in time to see Orion's father lift Violet's veil and kiss her. Lily wasn't surprised to see the silvery tear tracks on her aunt's face. He then handed her over to Orion and they joined hands. Then Dumbledore began to speak.  
  
"Witches and wizards, we are all gathered here today to join Violet Mackenzie Wellington and Orion Marcus Black in holy matrimony…" 

Finally, it was time for the vows.  
  
"Violet Mackenzie, do you take this man, Orion Marcus Black, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"  
  
"I do," she replied confidently. Mrs. Potter stepped forward, holding a rich red velvet pillow that held the golden wedding band and the wand. Violet picked up her wand and said "_Adorus__ Totalus!" while tapping the ring. It emitted a golden light and flew into the air. It stopped and hovered in front of Dumbledore. He turned to Orion.  
  
"And do you, Orion Marcus, take this woman, Violet Mackenzie Wellington, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"  
  
"I do," he replied just as confidently, and then turned to Mr. Lupin. His back was turned to her, but Lily knew he had done the same thing as Violet, because soon, the gold wedding band emitted a golden light and stopped in front of Dumbledore.  
  
"__Ius__ Coniubium!" Dumbledore cried, and the wedding bands molded together as one and then sprang apart, and slid onto Violet's and Orion's fingers.  
  
"Now, with the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce thee, Violet Mackenzie and Orion Marcus, man and wife! Yes, Orion, you may now kiss the bride," Dumbledore said. The two leaned in for a tender and sugar sweet kiss; a kiss the one only can experience on one's wedding day.  
  
"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Orion and Violet Black!" Dumbledore raised his arms and everyone applauded. The band struck up a lively tune, and the pairs followed the newlyweds out to the waiting limousine. The two climbed in after one last goodbye to Lily, Sirius, and Celeste before they set off on their honeymoon to the French Riviera.  
  
Sirius and Celeste stayed at Violet's and Lily's house for the time their father and new mother were on their honeymoon. Then Violet, Lily, Cookie, Ella, and the other servants would be moving into the Black's mansion. Lily was glad to go back to Hogwarts, even though she was having a good time with her aunt and new uncle and cousins. Sirius and Lily got back onto the Hogwarts Express on January fifth, ready to start their next semester at Hogwarts.  
  
A/N: Oh! Wasn't that cute! And in case you are wondering, those wedding phrases are real Latin. I take it at my school. I hate it. Don't take it if you have the option!  
  
Please review this chapter!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Bella_


	6. In Which There is a Visit from Dumbledor...

Hey! Here's Chapter Six~ Hope you like it! PLEASE review, as always! Hugs to you who do!! Oh, and I recently posted a new fic~ Only Time. It's a SAD song fic to my favorite song, Enya's Only Time! Please r&r!!  
  
As always~Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! Those of you who have reviewed every single chapter will be announced at the end of the story!! Lyl! I'm sorry this chapter had taken so long!!  
  
~*ShOuToUtS*~  
  
Lindz~ Luv ya girl! You're awesome! How's your Mum? Lol! xoxo  
  
YourWorstNightmare~ My inspiration!! Thank you for reviewing ALL of my chapter's so far!!! Thanks!!  
  
Steph~ My first friend in the ff world. Thanx!!   
  
Snowlily~ My awesome beta-reader!! Luv ya Lil! Xoxo  
  
**Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize is mine!!   
  
****The Story of Lily  
  
Chapter 6: A Visit from Dumbledore  
  
The rest of Lily's first year passed without incident; unless you count the time Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter blew up every single cauldron in Potion's one day, dousing everyone with Sleeping Draught. They all slept soundly from then until the morning after when there were a bit of confused and slightly angry feelings towards Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James – or the Marauder's, as they were calling themselves – and they triumphantly did their detentions for a month. Sirius told Lily and Gwen that they wanted to set a record for most detentions by the time they graduated. Lily and Gwen didn't doubt it.  
  
All too soon, the Hogwarts Express was pulling into King's Cross Station. Gwen and Lily said goodbye to each other sadly, promising to owl soon. Lily hugged James (blushing scarlet, of course), Remus, and even Peter, who she got along pretty well with.  
  
Lily went for the first time to her new house. Her bedroom was not the same as it was at Violet's because Violet's house was really still her true home. Instead, it had mood-walls like Gwen's and when Lily touched it, they turned dark blue, showing that she was sad. Her bed was huge and the comforter and drapes were fashioned to turn colors close to the color of the walls. Currently, her comforter and drapes were a lighter blue that went beautifully with the walls. Lily's favorite part of the room, though, was her ceiling. It was charmed just like the Great Hall ceiling at Hogwarts – to look the same way it did outside. Right now, the stars were shining in an inky black sky. Lily got into bed and was tucked in by her aunt and new uncle, and she drifted off to sleep clutching the beautiful necklace Orion had gotten her. She never took it off, that and her best friend bracelet that she shared with Gwen.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Tap! Tap!" **

Lily looked up curiously from her History of Magic essay ("_Discuss the Goblin Rebellion of 1482 – three rolls of parchment") out her window and saw a sight that made her shriek. James Potter was hovering outside her bedroom window on a broom. She hurried to the window and opened it, allowing him to fly in and land smoothly next to her bed.  
  
"James! What are you doing here?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Oh, hey Lils. Just wanted to see if you were up for a game of Quidditch?"  
  
Lily looked at him suspiciously. "James, you know I can't fly a broom. Why didn't you go and ask Sirius?"  
  
James suddenly looked sheepish and averted his eyes. "Erm, I don't know." It was more of a question than a statement.  
  
Lily tutted impatiently.  
  
"James-" _

But she wasn't able to finish her sentence, because the Black's huge Great Dane, Cleon, who had an obsession with jumping on people, bounded into Lily's room and knocked her straight into James, who, in turn, fell backwards and landed with a heavy "thump!" on Lily's huge bed. This put them in a very nasty situation indeed. It got worse, though, when Sirius burst through the door.  
  
He doubled over laughing at the site of his dog, laying on Lily, licking her face contently; who was laying on James, who was laying on his broomstick and looked to be in severe pain.  
  
"AAAARGH! CLEON! GET OFF OF ME YOU STUPID DOG!" Lily screamed, trying to shove the ninety-pound dog off of her chest. Then, spotting Sirius, who was holding onto Lily's desk chair for support, she yelled, "SIRIUS BLACK! GET YOUR STUPID DOG OFF OF ME!"  
  
James could only whimper in agreement.  
  
Suddenly, Violet walked in with Celeste in her arms, her wand raised. She visibly relaxed when she saw it was only them, and that gave a way to full fledged hysterical laughter.  
  
"HELLO? WHY IS EVERYONE LAUGHING? THIS STUPID DOG IS CUTTING OFF MY AIR SUPPLY!" Lily shrieked, struggling once more with Cleon.  
  
Violet wiped her eyes and made to pull Cleon off, when Sirius stopped her and ran to his room. He came back moments later with a camera that gave off a puff of purple smoke after he flashed a photo.  
  
"Oh, Sirius!" Violet half scolded, but then she proceeded to ask for a copy in an undertone. She then heaved the dog off with help from Sirius and Lily got up off of James quicker than a flash of lightning.  
  
"Uhg," James grunted while pulling his broomstick out from under him.  
  
Violet and Celeste eagerly crowded around Sirius. The picture developed, and they were all sent into hysterical fits of laughter. James got up (rather stiffly) and looked at the photo and began laughing hysterically as well. Lily glared at them, her hands on her hips, until curiosity got the better of her. She snatched the photo from James and burst out laughing. They were all on the ground laughing when Violet heard the front door open.  
  
"Oh! Orion must be home! That's funny, he's supposed to work all day today...Kids, stay here," she commanded. She stepped outside and raised her wand. Then they heard "_Accio__!" and a piercing scream.  
  
They looked at each other, white faced-  
  
"ORION BLACK!"  
  
"Yes, darling?" came the innocent voice of Sirius's father. The children all breathed sighs of relief and walked into the landing. It appeared that Orion had summoned Violet from the landing, since she was now rushing towards him. He caught her and spun her around, kissing her.  
  
"Oh, not again!" Sirius moaned. "Dad! Please!"  
  
Orion looked up at his son and grinned. Then he put Violet down gently.  
  
"Daddy!" Celeste ran to him, almost tripping down the stairs in the process, and he swung her up in the air and caught her easily. Celeste cried with delight.  
  
"Daddy, why are you home so early?" Celeste asked curiously.  
  
Orion cleared his throat and glanced at Violet. "Sweetheart, why don't you go and play in your room? Daddy will explain later, okay?"  
  
Celeste looked at him suspiciously, but ran up the stairs to her room obediently.  
  
"Hey, children, why don't you all go out back and play Quidditch in the stadium or something? I need to talk to Violet."  
  
"Sure, Dad..." Sirius looked doubtfully at him. He rushed to get his broom and James followed.  
  
"C'mon, Lil, you heard them. Let's go play Quidditch." James looked at her impatiently, holding his broom.  
  
"Erm, you go ahead. I don't fly, remember?" Lily went into her room and sat down at her desk again.  
  
"Lily! You haven't even tried your new broom yet! And it's the best broom gold can buy!" Sirius looked at her disbelievingly.  
  
"Wait – what? You mean, Lily has a Shooting Star?!" James exclaimed, thunderstruck.  
  
"Yeah! Violet gave it to her for Christmas!" Sirius rummaged through her closet, much to Lily's annoyance, and pulled out the broom, still in its wrapping box. The boys "oohed" and "ahhed" for a few minutes, before forcefully dragging Lily outside and into the Quidditch pitch. Lily was amazed; she had never been inside their stadium before.  
  
"Alright, Lily, this is a flying lesson. You have too great a broom to not use it, right?"  
  
Lily looked around nervously. "James, I. Don't. Fly," She pronounced each word clearly and slowly.  
  
"Yeah, but now you do," Sirius shoved the broom into her hands. "Now, kick off. C'mon, Lily, just do it!" He mounted his own broom and hovered a few feet above her. "We'll catch you when – sorry, if – you fall!" Sirius said encouragingly. Or at least, he though it was encouraging.  
  
"Here, Lils, get on my broom with me and I'll do some laps so you can get the feel of it," James offered.  
  
Lily looked at him apprehensively. "James, I don't think..."  
  
James rolled his eyes, strode over to her, and picked her up in one fluid motion.  
  
"James!" Lily shrieked. He paid no attention to her, and instead, sat on his broom, placed Lily in from of him, held her with one arm and the broom with the other, and kicked off into the air.  
  
"JAMES!" Lily screeched and grabbed on to the broom with both hands.  
  
"Whoa Lily! We're only about ten feet off the ground!"  
  
Lily glared at him reproachfully. "Put. Me. Down," she hissed in a deadly quiet voice.  
  
"You know what Lily? I don't think I will. We should have some fun first." And, with a devilish grin, he pointed the broom straight up and they shot into the air. Lily screamed bloody murder and threw her arms around his neck. He then pointed the broom at the ground and they rocketed downwards.  
  
When they leveled out once more, Lily gave him a glare that would make most people cower in fear. He didn't even flinch, and that irked her to no end.  
  
"James Potter, put me down right now!"  
  
He dove again, and she shrieked and flung her arms around his neck, squeezed her eyes shut, and leaned her head against his chest.  
  
"Hey! Lily! James!" They both turned their heads to face Sirius, leveled out once more, and a bright flash blinded them for a few seconds. When they could see, Sirius was waving a picture in front of their faces.  
  
James managed to tackle him and grab the picture. "Oh, Sirius, I'm gonna kill you!" And, the picture forgotten, he took off after Sirius. Lily stooped down and grabbed the photo. It was of her, clinging on to James, and somehow he had bewitched it so that their lips were glued together. Lily was pleased to note that her picture self was putting up a pointless but useful fight to unstick her lips. Just as she was about to rip it in half, something sped over her and snatched the picture from her hands: Sirius.  
  
"Sirius Black! Get back here right now!" Lily screeched. And, without even realizing what she was doing, she jumped on her Shooting Star and helped James try to catch Sirius.  
  
And this is how Violet found the three children later that afternoon:  
  
Lily, hovering below Sirius, who was trapped in a corner of the stadium, his head mere centimeters from the ceiling with James right beside him, trying to snatch a piece of paper from his hand.  
  
"Dare I ask what you all are doing?" Violet called in amusement. All of their heads snapped her way, except for James's. He snatched the picture from Sirius and dove to the ground.  
  
"Yes!" Lily let out a cheer of joy and sped to the ground as well. "James, let me do the honors."  
  
James grinned at her and handed her the photo. She ripped it ceremoniously into hundreds of tiny little pieces.  
  
Sirius landed next to them, looking defeated. James and Lily gave each other high-fives and began walking to Violet.  
  
"Lily, you're a great flyer when you don't think about it," he complemented.  
  
Lily blushed. "I've decided I like flying." James grinned at her knowingly.  
  
"Well, it seems you have had an interesting afternoon. I'm sorry James, but your mother just popped in to take you home," said Violet.  
  
"Oh, ok, I'll go get my stuff. Coming, Sirius?" He grinned at the black- haired boy.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be up in a second," he called. James and Lily trooped out of the stadium.  
  
"Violet, will you do me a favor?" he whispered anxiously.  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
"Repair that photo, please." He gestured to the pile of shredded photo.  
  
"Alright," she looked at him curiously, but then pointed her wand at it and shouted, "__Reparo__!" The picture's pieces sprang back together immediately.  
  
Violet knelt down and picked it up. She burst out laughing, and handed it to Sirius.  
  
"Can I have a copy?"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
At breakfast one morning, about two weeks into summer break, the entire family sat around the table, enjoying the beautiful, sunny, Saturday.  
  
Orion was telling them a funny story about a hag he had encountered in the Leaky Cauldron, when an owl swooped in from the dining room window. He dropped the letter into Orion's bacon, took some for itself, and set off again.  
  
Orion opened the letter, looked at it confusedly for a minute, and read it over again.  
  
"What is it dear?" Violet asked. He wordlessly handed the letter over to her and her face creased with worry as she read it.  
  
"But, surely it can't be that bad if he wants the children with us?" Ella, who had been cleaning the counters, walked over and read the letter as well. The adults had a hushed conversation until Celeste called out, "Daddy, tell us the rest of the story!"  
  
"I will later, pumpkin. Now we have to go and get ready, because Professor Dumbledore is coming to visit us," he said while patting her hair.  
  
"Why?" Lily asked curiously.  
  
"Well, he says here that it's a matter of the utmost importance and to make sure the children are present."  
  
"When's he coming?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of pancakes.  
  
"Sirius, dear, don't talk with your mouth open. He's coming around eleven o' clock." Violet said._

"Yes, and zat means yoo need to go and geet ready! Shoo!" Ella brandished her cloth at them threateningly; they scampered off to their rooms.  
  
While Celeste ran ahead of them, Lily and Sirius walked at a slower pace.  
  
"Siri, what do you think-" Lily began.  
  
"I have no idea," he cut her off.  
  
After getting dressed, they waited in the living room for Dumbledore. He arrived at eleven o' clock on the dot.  
  
"Good morning, Blacks!" he said cheerily. "And Evans," he added to Lily with a smile. "Happy Fourth of July!"  
  
They looked at him blankly. He chuckled and elaborated, "American holiday. It's when they gained their freedom from Great Britain."  
  
Orion chuckled. "Well, Albus, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"  
  
Dumbledore's face sobered. "May I sit down?" He gestured to the nearest arm chair.  
  
"Oh, yes, please," Violet said hurriedly, her face and tone very anxious.  
  
"Violet, have you and Orion ever heard of Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his piercing blue eyes almost extinguished.  
  
"Well, yes, he's that man who killed all those Muggles in Kent and of course, we have all heard of how he tortured and killed that Muggle family who had a witch daughter. Wasn't he a seventh year when we were in first year? And why, Albus?" Orion said, with a confused expression.  
  
"Yes, he was a seventh year Slytherin when you were in your first year. Unfortunately, he is growing to be a very serious threat." He focused his eyes on Violet's anxious face. "Violet, I am telling you this straight out. We have reason to believe, although we are not sure, that he has current possession of the Staff of Metrusia."  
  
Violet fainted dead away. Orion, extremely white, crouched down next to her. He lifted her onto the couch and turned back to Dumbledore.  
  
"Dumbledore, are – is this a joke?" He said hoarsely.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Orion," said Dumbledore sadly. Orion stared. "And that is why I am here. I think it is best if we revive Violet. This is a matter of utmost importance, as I said in my letter." He pointed his wand a Violet and muttered "_Ennervate__!" under his breath.  
  
Violet sat shakily up, her face deathly pale.  
  
"Violet, please try and listen. This is important." He extracted two sheets of glowing gold parchment.  
  
"Oh, Albus!" Ella exclaimed as she stood up.  
  
"Now, see here, Albus, don't you think this is a little rash?" Orion asked angrily as he got up to face Dumbledore.  
  
"No, not at all," Dumbledore said seriously, his blue eyes piercing into Orion's dark ones.  
  
"Would anyone mind telling us what this is all about?!" Sirius demanded angrily. All four adults turned to face Sirius, Celeste, and Lily. They had forgotten the children were present.  
  
"Mr. Black, do you know what the Staff of Metrusia is?" Dumbledore asked Sirius.  
  
"No idea," Sirius said honestly, blunt as usual.  
  
"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed shrilly. "We did that in History of Magic on our first day!"  
  
Sirius gave her a look that clearly said, "Do you actually think I paid attention?"  
  
"Lily, would you be so kind as to inform Sirius what the Staff of Metrusia is?"  
  
Everyone was staring at her. Lily tried not to think about her fear and explained to Sirius what the Staff of Metrusia was. "Metrusia was an evil Dark wizard who wanted the Adviser at the time – I don't remember his name – to move to the Dark side, since the Imperious Curse doesn't work on them. But the Adviser refused, so Metruisa made this staff and the words to start the spell that will place the Adviser totally under someone's control are written on the staff." Lily finished, looking full of herself.  
  
"Oh," was all Sirius managed to squeak out.  
  
"Very good, Lily," Dumbledore praised.  
  
"Thank you," said Lily, blushing slightly. She glanced curiously at the glowing pieces of parchment. She turned her attention back to Dumbledore. "Why are those pieces of parchment glowing gold?"  
  
"These are the sheets of parchment that witches and wizards use to write up their last wills and testimonies on. It becomes legal instantly when they die, and it will never diminish or become invalid," Dumbledore explained gently.  
  
"You – you really think they're in that much trouble?" Lily asked in a small voice.  
  
"Yes, Lily, I do. I wouldn't ask them to do this if I weren't one hundred percent sure. So, let's begin, shall we?"  
  
They worked for many long hours. Violet awarded Lily full custody of the Wellington mansion and she would inherit Violet's fortune. But, by far the hardest decision was where the children would go if anything was to happen to Violet and Orion. Orion immediately said that the Potter's would take Celeste and Sirius, since they were their godparents. He also said that Lily would be welcome there as well, but Violet wasn't sure. They argued over who would become her guardian for a while, until Ella stepped forward.  
  
"Madame, I am willing to become Mademoiselle Lilee's guardian," she said quietly. Violet and Orion looked up at her in shock. "It would bee a great honor, as you know I cannot 'ave children." Ella looked hopefully at Violet.  
  
"Oh, Ella!" Violet, overcome with emotion, hugged Ella. She had tears streaming down her face. "Would you? It would be perfect. I can think of no one else I would rather ask." **  
  
"Of course I will, Madame. I love Lilee as if she were my own, like yoo do."  
  
Lily sat there, in a state of semi-shock. Life would be miserable without Violet, but she knew that Ella would take care of her. She knew that they would get along fine. She wordlessly got up and hugged Ella and Violet. They stayed in each other's embrace for a long time, never wanting to let go.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily's twelfth birthday arrived on July sixteenth. Not only was it her birthday, but it also marked the one-year anniversary of Lily being "rescued" by Violet. If someone had told her, exactly a year ago, that she would one day have a family who loved her, let alone her being a witch, she would have thought them insane.  
  
Lily got up happily, dressed, and ran down the stairs two at a time.  
  
"Morning, Lils," Sirius said normally.  
  
"Morning, Sirius. Where's Celeste?" she asked as she poured herself some orange juice.  
  
"Celeste? Oh, I think she went out with Violet," he replied off-handily.  
  
Lily's spirits sank. Oh well, she thought, Violet will be here later...  
  
"Where's Orion, then?"  
  
"Dad went to work. Duh, Lily."  
  
"Oh." Her spirits sank even lower, if possible.  
  
"Morning, Lilee, Sirius," Ella greeted as she strode into the kitchen.  
  
"Erm, hi, Ella." Lily got up abruptly from the table. "What day is it?"  
  
"Ze sixteenth of July, Mademoiselle Lilee. Why?" Ella asked curiously.  
  
"No reason," Lily bit down on her trembling lip. She felt the unmistakable prickling at the corners of her eyes that signaled the tears were coming. Surely they hadn't all forgotten about her birthday?  
  
"Oh! Lilee and Sirius, I 'ave to take you to Diagon Alley today. We 'ave to get yoor schoolbooks," Ella said.  
  
"But, Ella, I made plans to go with Gwen next week!" Lily cried. This was icing on the cake, and it was all she could do to not burst into tears.  
"I am sorry, but we 'ave to go today," Ella said firmly.  
  
"Well, can I at least Floo Gwen and cancel?"  
  
"No, zere eez no time. We are going now," Ella said briskly. She walked out of the kitchen and Sirius followed obediently.  
  
"Sirius!" Lily called as she caught up with him. "I though that you were going to go with James next week, too!"  
  
"No, James cancelled, so Violet decided we should spend some time together with Ella and go today." He didn't look the least bit bothered.  
  
"Sirius, what's-"  
  
"'Ere, you go first, Mademoiselle." Ella gave Lily a pinch of Floo Powder and lit the fire.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
When they got home, late that afternoon, laden with shopping bags, Lily was laughing along with Ella at the story Sirius was telling. She was happy on the outside, but definitely not on the inside.  
  
Lily said hello to Violet, Orion, and Celeste, who were sitting in the living room, and they all responded back normally.  
  
She walked slowly and forlornly up the stairs to her room. They hadn't forgotten Sirius' birthday, she thought miserably, and they didn't even get to see him! It was in December!  
  
She set her shopping bags down and sat on her bed. She tried to ignore the signs of tears, but they came.  
  
She was lying on her bed, still weeping silently but very hard some time later, when-  
  
"Lily! It's time for dinner!" Violet's voice called. She glanced at the clock. Now, that was odd. It read, "It's Not Time for Dinner Yet So Stop Wondering!"  
  
Lily got up slowly and walked into her bathroom. She looked horrible. Her eyes were all puffy and red. She splashed water on them and dried her face. It helped, but not a lot.  
  
She walked down the stairs and into the dining room. That was really odd. The lights were off!  
  
"Violet!?" No answer. She stepped into the room a bit more. "Orion! Celeste!" Still no answer. "Sirius?" She stepped in a bit more, and-  
  
"SURPRISE!" The lights flickered on, to reveal that the room was filled with people. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LILY!"  
  
Lily gasped. Streamers, glitter, and confetti fell from the ceiling, and a large banner unfolded that said, "Happy Birthday, Lily!" in bright green letters.  
  
"Oh my!" _

Violet hugged her tightly, followed by tons more people: Gwen, squealing madly, Orion, Celeste, Harry and Katharine Potter, Elizabeth and George Watson, The Lupin's, Ella, Cookie, Hayley, Mary Katherine, Peter, Sirius, Remus, and lastly, James.  
  
It was the best night of Lily's life. They ate a sumptuous meal, followed by a huge cake, and then she opened her many presents. Ella and Sirius apologized many times for pointedly ignoring her birthday. ("I almost burst into tears when yoo asked me what day eet was!")  
  
She went to bed that night, truly content. Nothing could bother her, not even the growing threat of Lord Voldemort.  
  
  
  
A/N: Please review!  
  
** Okay, I know you all probably are wondering why in the world I chose Ella to be Lily's guardian instead of having her Matron of Honor/best friend Elizabeth Watson be her guardian. I'm sorry, but I can't tell! It would ruin the story if I made the Watson's her legal guardian. You'll understand when the story is finished, maybe sooner!**  
  
::Puts on the voice she uses when talking to kindergarteners:: Don't forget to be good little boys and girls and review!


	7. The Revealing Ceremony

A/N: Hey again. I really didn't like the way that last chapter turned out, but some people told me it was their favorite! I was amazed. You want to know why I didn't like it? Well, it was like, total fluff. The only important part was Dumbledore's visit, and plus I didn't think it was written very well. I have gotten many death/flame threats from my readers if I kill Violet! I'm sorry, but the story is out of my hands. I'm feeling a bit morbid because my parents have chopped down my Internet time to TWO HOURS a day. I am really really mad, to say the least. Sorry if I'm boring you with my chatter. On with the fic!  
  
Thanks to my beta's, Lily and ReineDansante, who're awesome. Although, I have been stabbed 6,999 times by ReineDansante for the events in this chapter, I'm okay and making a speedy recovery. Love you Chocolate Chips and Mrs. Nutbag! (LOL)  
  
**The Story of Lily  
  
Chapter 7:The Revealing Ceremony  
  
"Oh, dear GOD, _why must we have Charms?" Gwen slumped down in her chair miserably.  
  
"Gwen, Charms is fun!" Lily insisted, trying to haul her back upward. They were in the common room studying.  
  
"Yeah, Lily, that's because you're good at it! You're the best in Charms in our year!"  
  
"The exam is next week, don't worry! I can teach you how to do a Shrinking Charm by then!"  
  
Gwen sighed and sat up, trying to pay attention to her best friend.  
  
The girls were nearing the end of their second year at Hogwarts. Life was perfect for Lily; that could be because she ignored the newspaper that informed them daily of new attacks and the growing strength of Lord Voldemort. People had begun to fear him so much that they were scared to say his name, and called him "You Know Who" instead. The only person who refused to call him anything but his name was James, and for that, Lily greatly admired him.  
  
James. Just that simple word gave her goosebumps. Gwen knew of her crush, of course, but she didn't seem to really understand it. Lily was sure that she felt more for him than "just a silly little phase", but was too scared too ever do anything about it.  
  
"Yes! You did it! I knew you could!" Lily praised as Gwen successfully shrunk her quill to the size of a toothpick. "I'm gonna go work on my essay for Potions. You can enlarge it." Lily gathered her books and moved to the couch where someone (cough, cough) was sitting quite close to Lily's destination, also working on the essay. She decided she could ask him for help, when-  
  
"Lily! I don't know how!" _**

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, reminded herself that she had to be a good best friend, and turned right back around to help Gwen.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Oh, I passed, praise the Lord, I passed!" Gwen was dancing around the entrance hall, her hand clutching the sheet of parchment with her Charms score printed on it.  
  
"Yes, but just barely," Lily reminded her.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Miss I-got-the-highest-grade-in-our-year-ever," Gwen retorted.  
  
Lily grinned at her. It was true; Professor Flitwick had pulled her aside after class and informed her that she had gotten the highest grade on their Charms exam, ever. That information had stunned her. No other second year Charms student had ever gotten a score that high. She had also made the highest grades in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. But Transfiguration was an entirely different story.  
  
"Yeah, well, at least my grades in Defense and in Charms make up for my abysmal one in Transfiguration."  
  
Gwen smirked at her.  
  
"Ha! Lily Evans is not perfect!" she proclaimed quite loudly. Someone far off yelled, "Yeah, right!" And there were some noises of agreement. Lily blushed to the roots of her red hair.  
  
Just then, someone walked out of the entrance to the dungeon that was not welcome in Lily and Gwen's company at all: Lucius Malfoy.  
  
Before Malfoy even opened his mouth, Gwen snapped, "Bugger off, Malfoy."  
  
"I didn't want to talk to you, Watson," he sneered. "I wanted to talk to Lily."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes and flipped her curly hair off her shoulder. She glared at the handsome fourth year. "Like I want to talk to you, Malfoy."  
  
"Lily," he said, "flower of my life, why must you hate me so?"  
  
Gwen exhaled loudly and said, "Well, duh! Maybe if you were nicer to her friends, she wouldn't! But wait, 'nice' isn't even a word in a Slytherin's vocabulary, is it? Do you want me to define it for you?" she said, batting her large, blue eyes innocently.  
  
"Shove off, Watson!" he snarled. He turned back to Lily and put his hand on her waist and smiled indulgently.  
  
"See!" Lily shrieked, worming out of his grasp. "Come on, Gwen, let's go." She pulled her friend away from Malfoy, who was looking particularly murderous.  
  
"God, I swear," Gwen began as they entered the common room, "if stinking Malfoy hits on you again, I'll...I'll...do something really horrible!"  
  
Four heads snapped up at Gwen last sentence, and James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter hurried over to the girls, all of them looking ready to kill.  
  
"He did it again?" Sirius said in a low, threatening whisper.  
  
"Yes! And he even had the nerve to ask her why she hates him so much!"  
  
James had pulled out his wand and was muttering, "I'll kill him...I will, I'll kill him…" nonstop under his breath.  
  
"It's okay, guys, really. I'm used to him," Lily assured them. They all gave her identical doubtful looks. She grinned at them. "Really. Don't worry about it."  
  
James pocketed his wand, his gaze never leaving hers. She felt herself grow warm, and she quickly looked away.  
  
"Mr. Lupin?" Madame Pomfrey was standing in front of the portrait hole, glaring at Remus. "I believe you should have been to see me," she checked her watch, "half an hour ago!"  
  
Remus gulped and walked to her. "I – I'm sorry, Madame."  
  
"Where're you going, Remus?" Lily asked curiously.  
  
The boys exchanged uncomfortable glances. Even Madame Pomfrey looked nervous.  
  
"I need to borrow Remus here for a bit," Madame Pomfrey said hastily. "He'll be back later." She gripped his shoulder and steered him out.  
  
"I wish-" Peter was cut off abruptly by James elbowing him in the stomach. "I – I wish that I could have something to eat!" He covered up whatever he was going to say hastily and very unconvincingly.  
  
Sirius gave a false laugh. "You and your stomach, Pete," he dragged Peter away from the girls and he, James, and Peter had a hushed conversation in the corner.  
  
Lily glanced back at Gwen, who was wearing a look of bewilderment similar to her own.  
  
"I have no idea." Gwen said immediately.  
  
"Boys," Lily sighed as they plopped down on a nearby couch. James, Sirius, and Peter were giving them suspicious looks, as if the girl were trying to overhear their conversation.  
  
Gwen glared at them, threw her hands up and yelled, "What? Honestly, boys. I'll never get them." She turned to Lily. "Sometimes I think we would be much better without them."  
  
Lily looked at James and felt her heart flutter. "Some of them aren't so bad," she said, barely audibly. Gwen grinned at her, but wisely kept her mouth shut.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily had been away from Hogwarts only for only two weeks, and she found herself longing for her school. She missed the many secret passages, moving staircases, and seeing all of her best friends at once. She had already gotten together with all of her friends; Gwen (multiple times), James and Remus (she had played Quidditch with them and Sirius many times - she found she quite liked being Chaser), Mary Katherine, and Hayley. She hadn't seen Peter yet, and although she certainly liked him, she didn't miss him quite as much as her other friends.  
  
On this particularly day, she was so bored, she would have been thrilled to see even Peter. Sirius was out with James, and she was sunning by the pool her aunt had conjured for her. Alone. Which, of course, is no fun.  
  
And it was not like she was getting any sun anyway. She didn't tan. She burned.  
  
Lily reached up and gingerly touched her nose. "Oh bloody heck," she cursed. It was already peeling.  
  
"Lily! Lily, come here!" Lily jumped off her lounge chair and walked into the house, rubbing her nose sulkily. "We're in the living room. Quickly!"  
  
Violet's voice alarmed Lily, so she increased her pace and arrived in the living room slightly out of breath.  
  
Dumbledore was standing next to the mantle, looking graver than Lily had ever seen. Lily's family was sitting on the large couch. Ella was on the end, Celeste was sitting between her and Violet; Violet herself looked terribly shaken. Orion was on the other side of Violet and was holding her hand. Sirius was next to his father and was looking, well, serious. She wondered what was so important to call him home from James's.  
  
"What – what's happened?" Lily practically yelled.  
  
"Lily, if you would take a seat, please?" Dumbledore gestured to the couch. Lily squeezed in between Ella and Celeste. Celeste moved into her stepmothers' lap and Orion put his arm comfortingly around Sirius and Lily.  
  
"What I have come here to tell," Dumbledore began, "is a matter that I hoped I would never have to discuss with you. Unfortunately, I must." He sighed heavily and sat down. "I have a spy who is a member of Voldemort's inner circle. Voldemort is coming for you, Violet." There was a large intake of breath from the adults, and Lily froze, dumbstruck. "My spy's information is reliable, I myself tested him with Veritaserum to see if it was indeed true. Violet, as you know, the powers of an Adviser can be passed through family. So, we will be testing Lily now to see if she will become an Adviser."  
  
"But – Albus, her thirteenth birthday is in two weeks! Couldn't we wait until then?" Violet's voice shook.  
  
"There is no time. We must do it now. I have reason to believe she is indeed an early Adviser. She excelled in Charms – the highest exam grade for a second year ever in that class. She also came out on top in Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
Violet nodded her comprehension.  
  
"The ceremony we are about to execute is called the Revealing Ceremony. I have what we need to perform it right here. Before we begin, Violet, you must be willing to know if Lily is an Adviser. Are you?"  
  
Violet nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I am."  
  
"Good, then." He waved his wand and the furniture moved, clearing a large space in the middle of the floor. He removed strange looking rocks from a large, velvet purple bag and made a small circle.  
  
"Lily, if you please, step into the middle of the circle." Lily got up and stepped into the circle. Dumbledore turned his gaze on Violet.  
  
"Violet, have you ever performed a Revealing Ceremony?"  
  
Violet shook her head, "But I know how they are done."  
  
"Good. Please, step forward and let me take the necessary amount of blood."  
  
"Blood?!" exclaimed Orion as he jumped up.  
  
"Orion, I want to," Violet told her husband quietly.  
  
He looked at her, doubt etched in his features, but he backed away and sat back down.  
  
Dumbledore removed some of Violet's blood and put it in a vile. The blood glowed gold.  
  
"Professor?" Lily asked questionably.  
  
"It is the vial I have placed it in, Lily – it has been used in this ceremony since it was developed, many hundreds of years ago. Now, the next process is very, very difficult. Once her blood is made into her powers, I will invoke the power into you. If, when you emerge, you do have the Adviser's powers, you are destined to become one. If everything is normal, nothing will happen to you."  
  
Lily nodded silently, quaking with fear.  
  
Dumbledore then began to fill the rocks that were circling Lily with Violets blood. He then said, "_Cruor Adlevo!" The blood vaporized and formed a pattern over Lily, enclosing her. Then it turned gold and emitted a light. Lily gasped.  
  
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the vapor. "__Invoco__ Consuasor Faculas!" he roared.  
  
The gold vapor closed in on Lily and sunk into her skin. She felt as though a piece of her that had been missing was back, stood up, and fell right back down again. Orion rushed over and carried her easily to the couch.  
  
Dumbledore's piercing blue gaze was fixed on her. "Lily, we are going to have a conversation. If you get a feeling, any at all, that what we are saying is untrue, alert us immediately." They began to have a conversation about Voldemort. Dumbledore said, "Yes, he has a snake in his possession called Nagging."  
  
It was like a bell went off in Lily's head. "Professor! You're lying!"  
  
Dumbledore looked at her, his face impassive. "Yes, I was not telling the truth."  
  
"Lily, have you ever heard the name of Voldemort's snake?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Violet?" Dumbledore looked at her.  
  
"She's telling the truth."  
  
"Well, then, Lily, reach inside my mind and find the truth."  
  
Lily looked at Violet, very nervous. She didn't have a clue as to what she was doing.  
  
"Lily, just close your eyes and imagine entering Professor Dumbledore's head through his ear," she instructed.  
  
Lily closed her eyes and imagined entering Dumbledore's head. To her amazement, she could do it without imagining anything. She crawled over memories and worries, not wanting to look at them, since she knew they were private. Finally, she reached a place that felt right and saw: Voldemort's pet snake was named Nagini.  
  
"Nagini," Lily opened her eyes. "The snake's name is Nagini."  
  
"You are correct, Lily." Dumbledore sighed. "This is not good." He looked seriously at Violet and Orion. "This conversation and testing will not leave this room. If it does, there is danger that Voldemort will come after Lily. Voldemort most likely will not, because normally, the Adviser's powers are passed from parent to child, not aunt to niece if they are passed at all. You must be on your guard at all times. Please. I am going to set up wards around your house as a precaution."  
  
"Thank you, Dumbledore."  
  
"It's the least I could do. Lily, the powers will wear off. That is, until the night before your birthday."  
  
"Bye, Professor."  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"LIIILLYY!"  
  
Lily woke one dreary morning, a week from her birthday to see her best friend's head in her fireplace. The shock had long since worn off.  
  
"Hey – Gwen! I'm right here!"  
  
"Sorry," she grinned apologetically. "Anyway, you're coming over now. My mum just went and talked to Violet. Get dressed!" she urged.  
  
"She actually talked to Violet?" Lily marveled as she rifled through her closet to find a pair of jeans.  
  
"Yeah. What's up with her?"  
  
"I dunno. She's been locking herself up in the basement doing something ever since Dumbeldore came and visited us."  
  
"Why won't you tell me about what he talked to you about?"  
  
"Because he said we couldn't."  
  
"Argh, you're such a goodie-goodie. Hurry up!"  
  
Lily threw on a shirt. "I'm gonna go and say goodbye," she called to her friend.  
  
"Lily! Come on! It's not like you'll never see them again!" Gwen whined.  
  
"No, I'm going to say goodbye," Lily said firmly.  
  
"Alright, just hurry up!"  
  
Lily bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Orion was leaning on the counter reading the Daily Prophet.  
  
"Bye, Uncle Orion!"  
  
"Bye Lily. Going over to Gwen's are you?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said as she hugged him tightly, inhaling the scent of his familiar cologne.  
  
Her lily necklace came out somehow, and Orion spotted it and smiled.  
  
"Still have that, do you?"  
  
"I never take it off," she replied, looking into his dark eyes.  
  
"Oh, Lily," Orion hugged her again. When he pulled back, there were tears shining in his eyes. He knelt down so they were seeing eye-to-eye. "Lily, you're a wonderful girl, and as much as a daughter to me as Celeste is. I love you."  
  
"Oh – I love you too!" They hugged again. Then, a sound that made Lily's heart stop rang through the house.  
  
A high, merciless laugh followed by the sound of the door being blown off of its hinges.  
  
Sirius and Celeste came running into the kitchen as Violet came up the stairs, looking as though she had not gotten any sleep at all for a long time.  
  
"Violet, take Celeste, Sirius, and Lily and go to the safe chamber!" Orion shouted, pulling his wand out.  
  
"But-"  
  
"GO!"  
  
"Oh, Orion, I love you!"  
  
"I love you too! GO!"  
  
Crying, Violet picked up Celeste and ran, with Sirius and Lily at her heels. Celeste was screaming she was crying so hard. Violet tore down the stairs to her workshop in the basement. She threw the children in the safe chamber that they had built so Voldemort could not enter at all. She locked it and the wards immediately came on.  
  
Violet grabbed a vial of potion off of her desk and drank it in one gulp. She then turned back to the children.  
  
But before she could open her mouth, the two words that they all dreaded most were uttered upstairs: "Avada Kedavra!" and a hard thump – Orion's now dead body hitting the floor.  
  
Sirius let out an anguished cry and fell to the floor.  
  
Violet, tears falling freely from her eyes, clutched the bars of the safe chamber and cried: "I love you all so much! I'm going now! I love you, remember that! I always will!"  
  
She tore up the stairs and out of their sight.  
  
"MUMMY! Mummy, where are you going? MUMMY!" Celeste bawled.  
  
Violet must have left the door open, because Lily was able to hear every word of the exchange between Violet and Voldemort.  
  
"Ah, yes. The Adviser," came the coldest and most evil voice Lily had ever heard in her life: Voldemort's.  
  
"Yes, I am the Adviser."  
  
"Well, then. We are a brave one. Just like your husband, the foolish man. A Gryffindor, I suppose?" He laughed cruelly. "No use dancing around the subject. Join me, and I will spare your life."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Join me, girl! I can give you riches beyond your wildest dreams."  
  
"NEVER!" Violet yelled.  
  
"Fine, have it your way." There was the sound of Voldemort pulling something out of a sheath and the thud of metal hitting the floor. "Not so brave now, are we?"  
  
Lily knew what it was. The Staff of Metrusia.  
  
"I will use this, you know. I encountered it on my journey to the Himalayan Mountains. Quite surprised, I was, when I stumbled on it."  
  
Violet snorted, and Voldemort lost his temper.  
  
"JOIN ME, OR I WILL MAKE YOU!"  
  
"I'VE SAID IT ONCE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: __NEVER!"  
  
"__Facere__ Consuasor Obedire Potestas!" Voldemort repeated that three times, and said, "Adviser! Join me!"  
  
And then, the most extraordinary thing happened: Violet said no.  
  
"What?! The – the Staff of Metrusia! It – it doesn't work!" He continued with his spluttering for a moment, and then stopped suddenly. "Join me or I will kill you," he hissed. "This is your last chance."  
  
Lily sank to her knees and shook.  
  
"No," Violet said simply.  
  
"HAVE IT YOUR WAY, THEN! __AVADA KEDAVRA!" he roared.  
  
"No, no..." and that was the last thing Lily remembered until the world went black as she fainted dead away.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily cracked open an eye. She was in her old bed at the Wellington House! She was happily surprised for a moment, until it hit her:  
  
Violet was dead.  
  
"Aunt Violet!" she yelled, but she knew it was futile. Instead Ella, her now legal guardian, came in.  
  
"Elizabez! Kazarine! Cookie! She iz awake! Oh Mademoiselle!" Ella hugged Lily with all the strength she could muster.  
  
"Ella! I – I dreamt it all, didn't I? Violet?" she said desperately.  
  
Ella started to cry, and she managed only a shake of her head. Lily felt as though her stomach had dropped out.  
  
Suddenly, Elizabeth Watson and Katharine Potter came in. Both looked horrible, as though they hadn't gotten any sleep in days and had spent the time crying.  
  
"Oh Lily!" They both hugged her and fussed over her, until Lily stopped them.  
  
"What happened?!"  
  
They exchanged uncomfortable glances. Katharine sat down on her bed and held Lily's hand, while Elizabeth sat down on her other side.  
  
"Well, dear, I think Gwendolyn should be the one to tell you. After all, if it hadn't been for her, you wouldn't – wouldn't be here. Gwendolyn!"  
  
Gwen came thumping up the stairs, followed by James and Remus. "Oh, Lils! You're awake!" Gwen flung herself at Lily, followed by Remus and to Lily's delight, James.  
  
"Gwendolyn, will you tell her what happened?"  
  
Gwen swallowed and nodded at her mother, suddenly sober. She sat down on the edge of Lily's bed and took a deep breath before speaking.  
  
"Well, after you disappeared, I hung out in the fire for a while, until I – I heard, I heard Celeste crying. And I figured she had just hurt herself or something, until I heard Orion say," she looked nervously at her mother and swallowed. "Until I heard him say, 'Lily, take Sirius, Celeste, and Lily and go!' And so I cast a Hearing Charm, Lily, and it worked too," Lily smiled a little there, "I heard everything. After – after Orion," she closed her eyes, "after he died, I jumped out of the fire and ran to find Dad. He got a team of M.L.E.S., Aurors, and Hit Wizards together real soon, and they Apparated over to your house immediately. They had a time getting through the wards that Dumbledore put up, until they discovered a rip in it, leading straight up to the front door. They saw that the door had been blown off its hinges, and they walked into the kitchen, where they arrived in time to see the Dark Lord going down into the basement with his Death Eaters. Before they could catch him, they all Disapparated."  
  
"But – but there are anti-Apparation wards inside my house! And why was he going into the basement?"  
  
"Because Lily, he knows you have the powers," Elizabeth said quietly. "We don't know how, but he does. And we know that you have anti-Apparation wards. He got through them somehow. You've had us worried – been out for three days."  
  
Lily's head was spinning. "No! No! Violet she, she cant be...she just can't...." Lily buried herself under her covers and began sobbing. Ella got everyone out and they left her alone.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily woke up that night suddenly with an idea. She wouldn't let her friends be in danger just because of what she was. No, she would push them away, no matter what it took.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mademoiselle Lily, Mademoiselle Gwendolyn and your uzzer friends are here to see yoo!"  
  
Lily looked up from her book. "No, tell them I'm not here!"  
  
Lily heard footsteps coming up the staircase. Then, quite suddenly, Gwen burst into the room with James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter on her heels.  
  
"Lily, what in the world is wrong with you?!" she demanded, her hand on her hips.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with me," Lily said coldly.  
  
"Yes, there is. You think I'm you're best friend for nothing?"  
  
"You're not my best friend," Lily said quietly. Oh, God, she thought, this is it.  
  
"What?" Gwen said, leaning closer.  
  
"I said, you're not my best friend!"  
  
"What? Then – then who is?" Gwen's tone was bewildered.  
  
"NO ONE IS!"  
  
"Lily, what is wrong with you?"  
  
"Go away!"  
  
"No! We won't go away! God, I can't believe how selfish you're being! You don't think that we don't miss Violet and Orion too?"  
  
"I said, go away. I don't want to be your friend anymore." Lily's tone was icy. She was quite a good actress when she wanted to be.  
  
"You – you don't? Why in the world not?" Gwen's tone this time was hurt.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" James stepped forward, his eyes on fire.  
  
"Because I hate you all! I don't ever want to see you again!"  
  
"Lily, I save your life! And this is how you repay me?"  
  
"Go away," Lily repeated. "I don't ever want to see you again."  
  
"Lily, why are you doing this? We love you! We want to be your friends!" Gwen said, pleading.  
  
"Well, it would be a pretty one-sided relationship, now wouldn't it?" Lily snarled.  
  
"Fine! Be that way!" Gwen tore off her friendship bracelet and stomped on it. "I don't want to be your friend either!" Lily felt the bell go off in her head that she had been getting since her thirteenth birthday, signaling that Gwen was lying. Gwen ran out of the room, her tears blinding her vision.  
  
"She's a good person, Lily. And she really didn't deserve that," Sirius's tone stung. "So, if your not her friend, you're not my friend, either." Remus and Peter made noises of agreement. This time, there was no bell. They actually meant it.  
  
"Fine with me! I don't want to be your friends!" Sirius, Remus, and Peter ran out after Gwen, but James stayed put.  
  
"Go away, Potter," Lily said icily.  
  
"Lily, what-"  
  
"James, I said GO AWAY! I never want to see you again! I hate you!" She buried her face in her hands.  
  
"Fine!" he yelled, and went to follow his friends.  
  
Lily began to cry hard, but she convinced herself that this was for the best.  
  
"Lilee! What waz zat about?" Ella had entered the room.  
  
"Nothing, Ella."  
  
"Alright," she said suspiciously. "Anyway, zere iz a letter for yoo from Dumblee-dore downstairs. And eef yoo want to go to Diagon Alley today, we 'ave to go now."  
  
"Okay, let's go."  
  
Lily knew that her friends wouldn't be going to Diagon Alley today; they had already gone together, and Lily had declined the invitation to go with them. She wondered why there was a letter from Dumbledore for her.  
  
"'Ere it iz, Mademoiselle. I will go and wait in ze living room for yoo." Ella handed Lily an envelope addressed to her in loopy handwriting.  
  
She curiously opened it and read:  
  
__Dear Miss Evans,  
  
I hope that your powers are cooperating well. I have an offer to make you, for your safety and the safety of others. I have a dormitory that you may stay in; but it is separate from the other Gryffindor dorms. Your friends will not be able to enter as it admits those only with the blood of an Adviser. I will understand if you do not accept; it may get lonely for you. But I daresay that you will be able to socialize with your friends in the common room. Please carefully ponder this offer; it is very safe and would be a good option.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
__Albus__Dumbledore__  
  
__Headmaster__  
  
__Hogwarts__School__ of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
"Oh, __brilliant," Lily breathed. That would be perfect. Now she could avoid her old friends at all costs. She immediately wrote a reply of agreement and sent it with Iris.  
  
  
  
A/N: Oh, sad I know. I'm really, really sorry about that! PLEASE don't flame! I'm begging you. Please!! It gets happier, I promise!!! Review!! Thanks so much!!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Bella_


	8. Peace

**The Story of Lily**

*~*~*~*~This Starts Part Two of The Story of Lily*~*~*~*~

Chapter Eight: Peace  
  
_Prologue to Chapter Eight:  
  
Gwen only made one more attempt to talk to Lily, and once again, that ended disastrous. Lily began to sink further and further into her schoolwork while her friends forgot about her. She went to class, sat in the back, and never made a noise or lifted her head up. She never spoke to anyone; after classes ended, she would race up to her private dormitory and study. She made perfect grades, especially in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. She kept her red hair up in a tight, low ponytail. The corkscrew curls that had once inhabited her head had toned down into illustrious waves.  
  
Lily had learned to control her powers. She locked them safely up inside of her and never used them. She had no one to talk to, so what was the point?  
  
On her last day in sixth year, she decided to come down into the Common room for a change. She sat in a corner where no one could see her and watched the happy Gryffindors. She felt a pang in her heart when she spotted her old friends. Gwen was gorgeous with her coal black, wavy hair, crystal clear blue eyes, and creamy skin. She was best friends with beautiful Mary Katherine who had brown, corkscrew curls, a tan complexion and large brown eyes, and Hayley who was also a dream with thick, silvery blonde hair, large sapphire eyes, and a creamy complexion.  
  
Lily watched them unhappily. They were surrounded by friends and admirers who were all fawning over them.  
  
Her eyes shifted to a rowdy group of Gryffindor sixth year boys-Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter. They were famous at the school for their pranks. James and Sirius were widely known for their gorgeous looks and each had their girlfriend of the week on their laps. Remus was the more laid back type, but also quite handsome. Even little Peter Pettigrew was considered a good catch-but of course, that was only because he was friends' with the most popular boys, not because of his looks.  
  
Lily sighed and shook her head. She still had feelings for James, but what were the chances he would even see her? No, she mentally slapped herself. She did not want him to see her ever again.  
  
End Prologue  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily arrived at her home the next night. "Ella! I'm home!" she called as she entered the entrance hall, handing her bags to a maid.  
  
Ella hurried into the front hall and embraced her. "Oh, Lily! I 'ave missed you so!"  
  
"I missed you too. Christmas seems like such a long time ago!"  
  
"I agree. Why don't yoo go and shange out of yoor school clothes and we weel talk about yoor year. `Ow does zat sound?"  
  
"Perfect," Lily grinned. She raced up the stairs and changed into her Muggle clothes, and then hurried back down and into the living room.  
  
Ella smiled at her over the rim of her teacup and patted the sofa next to her. "Come and sit down. I want too heer all about eet!"  
  
Lily sat down with flourish and began to tell her Ella all about her studies. When she was finished, Ella was frowning.  
  
"Lilee, what about yoor friends? James and Remus and Sirius and Gwen?"  
  
Lily looked away. "I told you, Ella. We aren't friends anymore," she said quietly.  
  
"But why not?" The Frenchwoman asked indignantly.  
  
"Because, we just aren't," Lily said finally.  
  
Ella took Lily's hands in hers. "Lilee, I know what zis iz about. Yoo are afraid of putting zem in danger, are yoo not?"  
  
Lily burst into tears and nodded. Ella rocked her back in forth, whispering soothing words to her. When Lily finally quieted down, she said, "Yoo need to get to bed. Tomorrow yoo will make peece."  
  
Lily gave her a questioning look.  
  
"No, do not ask. Eet iz what I 'ad to do. I will explain more in ze morning."  
  
And Lily went to bed, completely puzzled.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"No! No, there is no way I'm going!" Lily said stubbornly, crossing her hands over her chest.  
  
"Fine zen! I will float yoo zere!" Ella said, just as stubbornly.  
  
They were standing in the middle of the Wellington cemetery. Ella had explained (after they had already entered the graveyard) that Lily needed to make peace with herself and Violet.  
  
"Now, yoo know ze way. I am going back to ze 'ouse and I 'ave sharmed ze gates so zat zey will not let yoo pass until you 'ave made peece!"  
  
And, before Lily could protest, Ella was gone with a faint 'pop!' and she was left alone in the graveyard.  
  
Lily shivered even though it was late June. She sat on a nearby headstone and put her head in her hands. No, there was no way she would go back to that grave.  
  
__Lily reached a shaking hand into the freshly dug earth and extracted a handful of it. She stepped up to the hole and let the cool dirt fall through her fingers. She though she would be all right, but as soon as she heard the dull thump of the dirt hitting Violet's coffin, she burst into tears and ran...   
  
Lily angrily stood up. No, she would not relieve that day. She paced around the grave for a moment; finally deciding to see what poor dead relative's stone she had sat on.  
  
The headstone read __Great Uncle Albert. She shuddered at the date: 1432. The Wellington's sure did go way back.  
  
She paced around a bit more, examining the dates on the nearby headstones. She finally got bored of that and sat on another one. Lily looked down to see what headstone she was on, and shrieked.  
  
She had unknowingly sat on Violet's.  
  
She got up quickly and dusted the fairly new grave off and read the inscription without meaning to:  
  
__Violet Mackenzie Wellington Black  
  
1944-1972  
  
Beautiful On the Inside And Out  
  
Loyal Wife and Loving Mother  
  
Best Friend  
  
She Will Remain in Our Hearts Forever  
  
My Everything  
  
Lily made no movement to stop the tears coursing down her cheeks. She slumped against Violet's grave. She had been the one to write __My Everything.  
  
"Oh, why," she moaned. "Why? Why did you leave me!" she shouted. "Why?" she leaned against the cool marble and sobbed her heart out. She remembered all of the times they had spent, how much fun they had had. And, most clearly, the first time they had met.  
  
__The sound of a car coming up the driveway meant Aunt Violet had arrived. Lily raced down the stairs, the front stairs, she was pleased to note, with Petunia sticking her nose up in the air and walking daintily behind. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Lily hesitated. The great front door was only a few steps away…what would her father do when he saw her?_

_She didn't have time to ponder this further because at that moment, the door was flung open and a tall man with brown hair entered. He was smiling jovially and holding a suitcase, which he gave to the butler. "Princess? Where's my-" He stopped dead when he saw not one child before him, but two. A blonde woman entered behind him and smiled at the girls._

_Edward Evans cleared his throat. "H-hello, Lily."_

_Lily replied in a small voice, "Hello, Father."___

_He quickly moved to Petunia and smiled at her, a true smile, and hugged her tightly._

_Aunt Violet was indeed dressed in the latest style. She had on a pink sleeveless dress and a scarf over her hair with large sunglasses over her eyes. Her blond hair was shoulder-length and flipped out. She was even prettier then the former American First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, whose style she was imitating._

_Aunt Violet noticed the exchange between Edward and Lily and then Edward and Petunia. She removed her sunglasses and placed them in her pink handbag and gave it to the butler. She walked over to the tiny redhead, noticing the pain and longing in her eyes when she watched her father hug Petunia. _

Lily remembered clearly the look of concern in her aunt's eyes, concern for her. At first, it was a ludicrous idea to Lily; that someone could actually care for her! Her, a lowly servant! Lily laughed shortly, now thinking of how wrong she had been.  
  
She remembered Violet's wedding, and what Violet had told her about Lily's dead mother, and how much Lily's heart ached for Violet because she had to live without her lifelong best friend.  
_  
"Vi, Vi, what's wrong?" Violet suddenly put her knees down and wiped her eyes on her dress.  
  
"Where – where's Lily?" she asked feebly.  
  
"I'm right here, Aunt Violet!" Lily sat down next to her and Violet smiled through her tears and took Lily's hands.  
  
"You look so much like you mother, it's painful. Your eyes...they're the same. Lily, I want you to know that I loved your mother very much. When she died, I – I didn't think I could live. We always planned our weddings together, and each time, we would be each other's maids of honor. I was at her wedding, and it's just empty without her!" She began sobbing again, and Lily began crying as well. They hugged each other for a long time, neither wanting the other to let go. "And, I just remembered how Iris had lilies for her flowers instead of irises, and how I said I wanted to have lilies too, or at least irises! And, I don't! I have stupid violets! Stupid, stupid violets! Where's Ella?"  
  
"I am right 'ere, Mademoiselle," said Ella, stepping forward from the crowd of women watching, water streaming from her eyes.  
  
"Will you change all of my bouquets flowers into lilies and irises?" Violet sniffled.  
  
"Of course, Mademoiselle. Right away." And she rushed away to get the bouquets and change their flowers.  
  
"Lily, your mother was the most wonderful, kind-hearted, brave, and most determined woman I've ever met. And if she was alive, I'm sure she would be extremely proud of you, just like I am." This brought forth-another wave of tears. "And she loved me, even though I was horrible to her sometimes, her love never lessened; just increased for me. Promise me you'll never change, Lily. Please."  
  
"I won't. I promise," Lily said solemnly, and they hugged again.  
  
_

Lily hugged her knees to her chest. "I love you, and I'll keep my promise. I won't ever change," she whispered. She rested her head on her knees and shook with silent sobs.  
  
"Go, Lily, go, move on with your life..."  
  
Lily jerked her head up. Someone was whispering something in her ear!  
  
"Do not weep for me. Go..."  
  
It was Violet! Lily jerked her head around wildly. When she saw no one, she laughed sadly and shook her head. "I'm hallucinating and the ripe old age of sixteen," she muttered.  
  
Lily suddenly felt a bucket of ice hit her shoulder and she whipped around. The bottom dropped out of her stomach. It was a white, transparent form of the Violet she used to know.  
  
"Vi-Violet?" Lily choked, scarcely able to believe her eyes.  
  
Violet smiled. "Yes, it is I, Lily. But only for a few moments. I wouldn't be able to do this if you weren't an Adviser." Her voice was like music.  
  
"Why-why are you here?" Lily asked.  
  
Violet smiled sadly. "Lily, you cannot keep doing this to yourself."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Separating yourself from your friends. It's hurting you."  
  
"But I'll put them in danger!" Lily exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Lily, just remember: It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. I must go now."  
  
"No! Don't go! Don't leave me again!" Lily begged through the torrents of water pouring down her face. "No! Please!"  
  
"Lily, I must." Silver tears were making their way down Violet's own cheeks. "I love you, and I will be with you, always. Remember that. I am with you..."  
  
A most miraculous thing happened. It was as though the heavens had opened up, and a beam of golden light shone on Violet. The light and Violet shimmered and then faded.  
  
Instead of throwing herself on the ground and bawling like Lily felt like doing, she brushed herself off and smiled. She felt like a dismal cave that had just been filled with light; she was complete. She broke the barrier that surrounded her powers and instantly felt better.  
  
Smiling contentedly to herself, she strode out of the cemetery without a problem.  
  
She resolved to make up with her friends when school started back up. Hopefully, she could come up with the courage.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
A few weeks later, after she turned seventeen, Lily got her owl from Hogwarts, informing her that she would be Head Girl along with James Potter. Her heart skipped a beat and she grinned joyfully. Perhaps this would be easier than she thought...  
  
A/N: Oh, evil cliffies, I know. Review and I'll get the next chapter up quick! I hope that this chapter made you cry. That was my goal. When you review, tell me if it did. It would make my day, to know that I had written something good enough to make my readers cry. Thanks.  
  
Cheers!  
  
Bella


	9. James's Promise

A/N: As always, I would nothing without Snowlily and ReineDansante. Love you girls!

**The Story of Lily**

Chapter Nine: James's Promise  
  
"Goodbye! I will miss you, Lilee!" Ella pulled back from hugging Lily and gave her a mock-serious look. "Now, I want no messazes from Professor Dumbly-dorr zat yoo 'ave broken a rule."  
  
Lily grinned. "I'll try my best," she said happily. For the first time in years, Lily had left her fiery red hair down from its usual ponytail. It was in gentle, almost non-existent waves to the middle of her back. The glasses she used to wear only because she didn't draw much attention in them no longer framed her large, crystal-clear, green eyes.  
  
Lily was standing in the middle of Platform Nine and Three Quarters with witches and wizards of all ages swarming around her. She sighed wistfully. This would be her last year at Hogwarts, and she was determined to make it her best. She gripped the cage that held her owl, Iris, tightly as she prepared to board the train. She was shaking with nerves; what if her friends didn't want her back?  
  
Lily hugged Ella one last time and boarded the Hogwarts' Express. She wandered around the train, peering in the compartments, searching for a familiar face. She didn't have to wait long, though. As she was passing by, a compartment to her right burst open and a tall, raven-haired witch burst out yelling, "SIRIUS BLACK! You'll pay for this, I sw-"  
  
She was cut off when she hit Lily, and Lily felt her breath catch when the black haired witch saw who she was.  
  
Gwen looked at her curiously for a moment, and then whispered, "Lily?" in a very disbelieving tone.  
  
Lily nodded weakly.  
  
"Oh – oh Lily! Are you – d'you want to come and sit with us?" she asked pleadingly.  
  
"I – I suppose," Lily answered nervously. She gripped Iris's cage even tighter and walked into the compartment. It went deathly quiet, and four shocked faces stared at her.  
  
"Lily?" Remus whispered.  
  
Lily was only able to nod; there was a large lump in her throat. She found her voice and said, "Before – before you all say anything, I want you to know that I don't hate you, and I never did. I only acted like that because I thought I was doing the right thing."  
  
"Lily – what?" James asked, rising and walking toward her.  
  
Lily's face flushed and she stared at the floor. How was it that James still made her pulse quicken, her palms sweaty? When she lifted her head up, there were tears shining in her eyes. "I – well, there's something I need to tell you all." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. "I'm the Adviser."  
  
A stunned silence filled the compartment. "You – you're sure?" Gwen breathed.  
  
"Of course I'm sure. I've known since I was thirteen," Lily said dryly.  
  
"Wow," was all that was said for a moment, until-  
  
"Oh Lily, we've – we've really missed you!" Gwen exclaimed, her voice shaking dangerously. Before Lily knew what happened, Gwen's arms were around her, squeezing her tightly. Lily shifted and hugged her properly.  
  
When Gwen stepped away, Sirius's strong arms circled her as well, uncharacteristically serious, his face raw with emotion. "Lily, I missed you too – you're really my sister, you know that."  
  
Lily felt her eyes well up with tears, and she smiled at him. "I know, you're really my brother, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I shut you all out."  
  
James hugged her next, his touch making her skin prickle and her heart light, as she had suspected. Remus hugged her as well, followed even by little Peter. They had a very enjoyable trip down talking about anything and everything. Lily told them of how scared she had been for them, and how visiting Violet's grave had made her decide to become their friend again and apologize. However, she kept Violet's apparition to herself.  
  
They soon arrived at Hogwarts, Lily's mood better than it had been in years. She, Mary Katherine, Gwen, Hayley, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter stayed up until a very ungodly hour chatting by the fire in the common room. As Lily headed up to her own dorm after seeing her friends into theirs, she resolved to talk to Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible – she wanted to be in the normal dorm for the rest of her seventh year.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Lily!"  
  
Lily groaned and Gwen grinned at her. Ever since she had come out of her shell, she had been receiving a lot more attention than she had in years, especially from the opposite sex. She had even acquired her own "fan club", boys who asked her to Hogsmeade all the time and not very inconspicuously followed her around. The two girls were walking to their last class of the afternoon – Lily had Study of Ancient Runes while Gwen had Muggle Studies.  
  
When Lily turned around, she was relieved that it was James who was calling her, not some pathetic fifth year boy asking her to go to Hogsmeade with him.  
  
She flashed smile. "Hi James."  
  
He was out of breath, and he made a few spluttering noises while clutching his chest and finally managed, "Only – only…just…got – away..."  
  
Gwen looked very pleased. "Escaped your admirers, James?"  
  
He gave her a murderous glare. "Where're yours, Watson?"  
  
"Oh, I told them Lily and I were going to go to pluck our nose hairs, and they scattered." She grinned.  
  
James looked impressed. "I should try that sometimes," he said thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, but they'll be back, of course," Lily said miserably. "Last week I finally had to get Sirius."  
  
"Ah." James understood perfectly. Sirius was very protective of Lily, maybe a bit too much for his liking, but of course, he would never say that. "So Lily, walk with me to Runes?"  
  
"You take Ancient Runes?" Gwen asked as the trio began walking again.  
  
"Yeah, I dropped Muggle Studies."  
  
Gwen got a very panicked look on her face. "No – tell me you didn't!"  
  
"Yeah, I did. Sorry Gwen," he smirked at her.  
  
She buried her face in her hands, then jerked it up quickly. "I hate you! Now I'm going to have to sit with those bloody – bloody _prats without you to protect me!" she moaned.  
  
"Don't worry, Sirius switched from Care of Magical Creatures to Muggle Studies. You'll be fine. Besides, isn't Hayley in that class?"  
  
"Yeah, but she's no fun. I mean, I love her to death, but she can get really annoying."  
  
They came to a break in the corridor. "Well, see you at dinner," Gwen said miserably as she slouched down the left corridor.  
  
"Bye Gwen," Lily said sympathetically.  
  
James and Lily made it through Ancient Runes by sitting in the last two desks in the corner and praying not to be seen, but it was futile. James looked quite angry when he saw boys were trying to talk to Lily; she had a feeling he wanted to talk to her alone.  
  
After class, they hurried out of the room and broke into a sprint. Suddenly, James grabbed Lily by the waist and pulled her behind a tapestry and into a corridor she had never seen before.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked, peering around at the deserted corridor.  
  
"We just have to walk down this corridor and through another passage and we'll end up near the Prefect's bathroom."  
  
"Oh," she nodded her head and smiled.  
  
James grinned down at her – he was a good six inches taller than she was – and slung his arm around her shoulders. "Alone at last," he sighed.  
  
Lily heartbeat quickened. She didn't trust her voice, so she merely nodded her head and smiled some more.  
  
"You know, Lils, I think you've been alone with everyone except me," James said thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," she said quickly.  
  
"You know, I really did miss you," he said quietly.  
  
Lily was so absorbed in what he said, she didn't realize he had stopped. She closed her eyes for a minute, swallowed, and turned. "Yeah, I – I missed you too," she said truthfully. Lily said it to his chin; she didn't dare look into his eyes.  
  
To late – soon she felt his warm fingers lift her chin gently so she was staring him in the eyes.  
  
"Promise me you won't do that again…I couldn't bear to lose you," James said a bit hoarsely.  
  
"I promise," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.  
  
James noticed the tears and instantly took on a look of concern. He hugged her to him and she began to cry. They sat down on the filthy floor together, Lily crying into James's shoulder.  
  
"I didn't mean to make you cry," he said sincerely.  
  
She smiled and wiped her tears. "It's okay, I've been threatening to do that for a while and I suppose that just made me lose it."  
  
James smiled sadly and searched her face. _

"What?" she whispered.  
  
"I – I just…gods, Lily, do you know what I've been through?" he asked her, running a hand through his already untidy hair, therefore making it stand on end.  
  
"I can imagine," she said softly.  
  
"No, I really don't think you can," James said. Lily didn't miss the hint of sharpness in his voice.  
  
"I mean, you – that day, when you told me you hated me?"  
  
Lily closed her eyes.  
  
  
_"Fine with me!__ I don't want to be your friends!" Sirius, Remus, and Peter ran out after Gwen, but James stayed put.  
  
"Go away, Potter," Lily said icily.  
  
"Lily, what-"  
  
"James, I said GO AWAY! I never want to see you again! I hate you!" She buried her face in her hands.  
  
"Fine!" he yelled, and went to follow his friends.  
  
  
"Yes," Lily said shakily, coming back to the present. She began fiddling with a loose thread on her robes.  
  
"Lily, I felt like my heart had been ripped out and stepped on," James said frankly.  
  
Lily sucked in her breath. "Me too," she whispered, praying that he could just drop it and they could leave and act as though that hadn't happened. This was the topic she had avoided at all costs – and here she was having it with the person she least wanted to have it with.  
  
But of course, he had to discuss it further.  
  
"And-" here he paused, and gulped barely audibly, "and it took every fiber in my body to not just gather you up in my arms and kiss you until you saw reason."  
  
"You – you mean you liked me?" she looked up at him quickly.  
  
"Liked? Lily, I've never liked you," he said slowly.  
  
Lily dropped her head and fought the tears. Of course he didn't like her! She was – was nothing to him…  
  
"I loved you, Lily. I've loved you since, well, I think it was – yes, it was when we ran into each other that day in Hogsmeade before first year."  
  
"No – no James, you-you don't mean it," she said, refusing to meet his eyes.  
  
"Of course I do. I wouldn't ever lie to you, Lily."  
  
"No James! We're too young to know what love is!" she practically yelled, standing up quickly.  
  
James stood up quickly as well. "Then I don't know what the hell I'm feeling for you, but it's definitely more than just like. Please, just try me," he begged.  
  
Her brain was screaming at her to say, "I love you too!" but her traitorous voice said, "I'm not ready," instead.  
  
James's face fell, but he quickly put a determined look on. "Then I'll wait. You say the word, and I'll kiss you senseless like I've wanted to do for four years."  
  
"Really? You'd…you'd wait for me like that?" Lily asked incredulously.  
  
His gaze was so intense that she couldn't have looked away if she tried. "Of course. I'd do anything for you."  
  
"It – it might be a while…" she said weakly.  
  
"I'll wait," he said firmly, and Lily knew that the discussion was over, and he wasn't going to change his mind. She reached up and hugged him tightly. Words couldn't even begin to express the gratitude she felt towards him for not pushing her. They stood in each other's arms for ages, until finally Lily pulled back.  
  
James looked down at her and held out his hand. She took it and felt a tingle of pleasure run up her arm, giving her goose bumps. They walked in silence; each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the closed doors to the Great Hall, James looked down at her again.  
  
"Don't forget, Lily, I'll always be here for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen, you come to me. Even if-" his throat constricted, but he forced himself to continue. "Even if you decide you don't want to be with me, I'll always be here."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, afraid she would begin to cry again.  
  
He tenderly wiped away her tears and squeezed her hand, and with that, they entered the Great Hall to many murderous stares from each other's "fan clubs". _


	10. In Which Lily and James Solve Their Prob...

**The Story of Lily**

****

Chapter 10: In Which Lily and James Work Out Their Problem  
  
"Gwe-en."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Aw, c'mon Gwennie. Please?"  
  
"Don't you dare call me Gwennie again, or I'll beat you to a pulp."  
  
Lily snorted into her pudding. The Gryffindors were sitting in the Great Hall eating dinner, and currently Sirius was trying to get Gwen to go with him to the library after dinner.  
  
"Sirius, why don't you ask Remus or someone?" James said curiously.  
  
Sirius fidgeted and chose not to answer. Lily was not bewildered by his actions; she had a feeling he liked Gwen. But, by the way he was looking at Sirius, James had no clue of his best friend's crush. Lily figured she would save Sirius the embarrassment and tell James herself.  
  
She studied his handsome profile and thought for certainly not the first time: What did she want? Lily knew she liked James, but love? It was such a powerful word! Too powerful, at times. Ever since Lily had told James she would give him a chance, he had been glued to her side. She felt comforted by his presence, simple gestures like his hand resting gently on her back, or…  
  
No, she told herself firmly. You're dating Jacob, remember?  
  
Lily winced at the memory of when she told James she had agreed to date a seventh year Ravenclaw named Jacob – James had looked like he would kill her right then and there. She told him that she had to try dating other people, and she had even suggested he begin dating as well, but at that, a fire lit in his eyes and she quickly said that he didn't have to if he didn't want to. Lily never wanted to see that fire again.  
  
"Hullo Lily."  
  
Lily turned in her seat and saw Jacob. She smiled cheerily at him and stood. James stood as well and looked at Jacob stonily.  
  
"Potter," Jacob said coldly, nodding his head. "D'you mind if I talk to _my girlfriend __alone?"  
  
James gritted his teeth. "That's fine," he said in a tight, barely controlled voice. "I'll just be going then, shall I?"  
  
It looked as though he was pulling a ton of bricks as he forced himself to walk away from Lily.  
  
Lily watched him leave worriedly and then turned to Jacob. "Yes?" She smiled at him.  
  
"Lily, we need to talk," Jacob said bluntly.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Oh, Gwen!" Lily sobbed into her best friend's robes as she concluded her story. "And now, I don't want to tell James because he'll do something d- drastic!"  
  
"I didn't know you even liked Jacob that much."  
  
Lily snorted and looked up at her. "I didn't, it's just the whole getting dumped thing, you know?"  
  
"Yes, I know. And don't worry, Lils, I'll tell him for you," Gwen assured her.  
  
"You – you will?" Lily asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course I will! It's what I'm for, right?" Gwen said with a grin.  
  
"Yeah…but what are you going to say?" Lily got up slowly and made her way to the sink to splash her face with water.  
  
"I'll just say that you're up in your old room because you want to be alone since Jacob dumped you. Then I'll stay down there and make sure James doesn't leave the common room and try to kill Jacob, alright?"  
  
Lily smiled gratefully and sat back down next to Gwen. "Thank you."  
  
Gwen smoothed Lily's hair. "It's no problem. You go on up and I'll see you later. Don't come out until you're ready."  
  
"Okay. Thanks Gwen." Lily hugged her best friend and grabbed a bag of makeup. She went to her old dorm that only let her in, since she had the blood of the Adviser. She sat down at her old vanity and began to re-apply her makeup. Her hands were shaking slightly; what if James did do something drastic?  
  
As she was putting the last coat of mascara on, she heard a great rumbling that was getting louder. She realized that it was someone pounding up the stairs, and soon James's livid face appeared in her doorway. There was no reason to shut her door as no one else could enter.  
  
"Lily," he said with unrepressed anger, "where is he?"  
  
Lily got up quickly and faced him. "James, if you leave the common room with intentions to hurt Jacob, I will never speak to you."  
  
James paled and his shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry, Lily – I just – I can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you."  
  
Lily's heart swelled and she walked out of her room and straight into his arms.  
  
"James, I-"  
  
"Lily-"  
  
They both spoke at the same time, and James laughed. "Sorry, you go ahead."  
  
Lily took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.  
  
"James, I've done a lot of thinking over the past few weeks, ever since we had that talk." Her heart was hammering painfully against her ribcage, but she forced herself to go on. "And," gulp, "I…I think I'm ready to try you."  
  
James looking extremely shocked. He then gave a disbelieving laugh and lifted Lily off her feet and swung her around. He lowered her gently. "I can't believe it!" he whispered huskily.  
  
"Neither can I," Lily whispered back.  
  
"Can I - well, remember what I said before? You say the word, and I'll do it in a heartbeat." He looked at her pleadingly.  
  
Lily smiled slowly and then said, "Yes, James, you can kiss me," ever so quietly. Before she knew it, James's lips were on hers. His kiss was so full of relief and longing; it was as though he put every emotion into it. His lips parted and he deepened the kiss. Lily responded willingly, amidst the fire crackers going off in her head and the swelling of her heart.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Lily and James came down to the common room quite a while later, both slightly out of breath with happy smiles on their faces.  
  
Gwen looked up at them from her Potions homework. She did a double take and stood up.  
  
"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop him, but he insisted on thundering up the stairs-"  
  
"Gwen, it's okay," Lily cut in, grinned at James, and held up their intertwined hands.  
  
Gwen looked curiously from one flushed, happy face to the other, and then she got a look of total understanding.  
  
"Oh," she said loudly, "__oh, you __worked it __out."  
  
"What out?" Sirius called from the corner where he was playing chess with Remus.  
  
"They worked their problem out, Siri," she said charmingly.  
  
James grinned at Lily, kissed her on the cheek, and went to explain things to his best friends.  
  
Lily glowed and sat down on a nearby couch with Gwen. Gwen demanded to know details, and Lily happily obliged.  
  
"Are you going home for Christmas?" Gwen asked when Lily was finished.  
  
"Uhm, I think so. Why?"  
  
"Well, when you two were, erm, __solving your problem," Gwen was grinning widely now, "I got a letter from Mum." She pulled a sheet of parchment out from under her book and handed it to Lily:  
  
__Dearest Gwendolyn,  
  
How's good old Hogwarts, dear? Still wonderful? Thank you for sending me the letter about Lily – we (your father and the Potters) have been worried about her for quite some time and it is no surprise to me that she is the Adviser. Please, do give her my love.  
  
I know that my next bit of news will thrill you – your father is going to be visiting the Swedish Minister of Magic on your Christmas holidays, so you know what that means! Yes, we are taking a trip to the __Alps__. I know that you loved skiing the last time you were there. The Minister has been kind enough to offer us many more rooms than necessary and he told us to bring friends. You may invite three of your friends besides Remus and James because their families are going with us. It would be delightful to have Lily come! The vacation will stretch from the twentieth to the thirtieth. I look forward to seeing you, my dear.  
  
All my love,  
  
Mum  
  
"Isn't that awesome?!" Gwen squealed when Lily had finished reading.  
  
"Wow! How exciting!"  
  
"So, do you want to come?" Gwen asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course! But, I don't know how to ski…"  
  
"That's fine, I've only done it once before. It's so much fun!" Gwen squealed again.  
  
"Who else are you inviting?" Lily asked excitedly.  
  
"Uhm…well, Sirius, definitely…" Gwen got a dreamy look on her face, then suddenly came back to Earth and looked horrified with herself. "I – I mean, I don't really want him to come, but…"  
  
"You like him, Gwen. I can see right through you," Lily stated, staring at her friend, amused.  
  
"I-" Gwen looked like she would deny it, but she gave up and her shoulders slumped. "Is it that obvious?" she whispered.  
  
"No, but it is to me."  
  
"Oh," Gwen said, looking stunned. "Well, anyway, this is going to be so much fun! James! C'mere!"  
  
James looked up from watching Remus and Sirius's chess game. He got up with the other two in toe (Peter was cramming for their Defense Against the Dark Arts test the next day) and plopped down next to his newly appointed girlfriend.  
  
"What's up, Gwen?" he asked, his gaze on Lily.  
  
"I'll tell you, if you stop drooling and look at me!"  
  
James tore his eyes away from Lily and looked impatiently at Gwen. "What?"  
  
"Thank you!" she huffed. "Anyway, I just got this letter from Mum! And guess what?"  
  
James looked at her blankly.  
  
"Your family and Remus's family and Sirius and Peter and Lily and my family and I are all going skiing in the Alps!" she said this quickly, but finally it sank in and Remus, Sirius, and James began a series of exclamatory remarks.  
  
"What are the dates?" Remus asked.  
  
"The twentieth till the thirtieth!"  
  
"So we all get to ski and spend Christmas together?" Sirius asked excitedly.  
  
"Yeah!" Gwen exclaimed.  
  
Sirius leapt up and hugged her. She looked as though she would enjoy it for a split second, then she said, "Sirius, get OFF me!" and pushed him. He grinned at her and sat down next to her.  
  
"So, when do we go?" he asked happily, rubbing his hands together.  
  
"Well, I expect we will leave early on the twentieth so we can meet the Swedish Minister of Magic and settle in to his home. It's huge and it's in the woods at the base of one of the mountains."  
  
"How awesome!"  
  
"Well, this certainly gives us a good reason to win the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw on Saturday!" James exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, start the hols off with a win!" Sirius yelled.  
  
"Definitely," Gwen grinned. "Let's kill 'em."  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Saturday dawned clear and cold. Lily, Mary Katherine, and Hayley left the Great Hall with Remus and Peter at half past ten in order to get good seats. They were lucky as the stadium was nearly deserted, and took seats in the center of the Gryffindor section of the stands. The Gryffindor team was in their locker rooms; presumably getting a talk from James – their captain.  
  
At ten till eleven, the doors to the castle burst open and the rest of the school came pouring out.  
  
A very humorous fifth year Gryffindor named Brent was commenting with Professor McGonagall in the commentator's box. As the seven players dressed in scarlet rushed into the stadium, the crowd went wild.  
  
"A very good lineup we've got this year!" Brent boomed. "We've got James Potter as Captain and Chaser with Carla Higgins and Thomas Runesfield as his co-Chasers! We also have Sirius Black and Chris Cheker as our Beaters, Winston Rhineheart as our Keeper, and finally, Gwen Watson as our superb Seeker!" The Gryffindor side went wild with a few Hufflepuffs that were rooting for Gryffindor. The side directly across from them, the Slytherins, were seated next to the Ravenclaws and they made their boos and hisses heard.  
  
After the Ravenclaw team entered, Madame Hooch, the Quidditch instructor and referee, mounted her broom and the yelled, "Captains, shake hands!" James moved forward with a look of hatred on his face.  
  
Lily was alarmed until she noticed who the Ravenclaw captain was. It was Jacob. How could she have forgotten?  
  
James shook his hand (well, gripped it as though he were trying to break the other boy's fingers) and Madame Hooch told them to mount their brooms. She released the balls and blew her whistle. In unison, the fifteen brooms rose into the air.  
  
"And Gryffindor has got the Quaffle! Very nice pass to Higgins there from Potter, now back to Potter, he's going very fast on that new broom of his, straight at Ravenclaw Keeper Genevieve Carol – he fakes right and SCORES! Ten- zero Gryffindor!"  
  
Lily stood up and cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors.  
  
"And Ravenclaw captain Jacob Barnes has the Quaffle…man, he's whizzing right through…where are our Beaters?"  
  
The crowd seemed to feel the same, until suddenly, a Bludger knocked by Sirius hit Jacob right on his wrist and he dropped it.  
  
"Marvelous shot by Sirius Black!" Brent, along with Gryffindor, was roaring his approval.  
  
Mary Katherine, who was on Lily's left, leaned over. "I'm not worried about this game. The Ravenclaws care more about their marks then their Quidditch team!" she whispered confidently.  
  
However, the Ravenclaw team was playing harder than ever. They seemed determined to get rid of that reputation.  
  
James caught the Quaffle and very suddenly, a Beater was right in front of him, blocking his path. James had to veer sharply upwards and dropped the Quaffle in the process. Ravenclaw made its first goal.  
  
Lily squinted up at Gwen who was high above the field, circling, looking for the tiny winged Snitch. The Ravenclaw Seeker, Ben Miller, was right behind her.  
  
Carla Higgins scored, making it twenty to ten.  
  
"Wonderful shot by Higgins there, the scores now twenty to ten Gryffindor! And they're off again, Runesfield with the Quaffle - FOUL!" Brent yelled into the microphone.  
  
All of the supporters in scarlet stood on their feet, making furious gestures to the Ravenclaw team. One of the Ravenclaw Beaters, Torrance Marvel, hit Thomas square on the head and now looked like he was telling Madame Hooch it was an accident!  
  
"An accident, my ARSE!" Brent roared.  
  
"McFrosten!" Professor McGonagall shrieked at him.  
  
"Sorry, Professor…yes! Gryffindor is awarded a penalty!"  
  
Thomas made the penalty, the score now thirty to ten.  
  
"Yes, and Ravenclaw Chaser Maggie Fields has the Quaffle…she dodges around Potter who makes a furious grab but misses…she's in the scoring area…she shoots - NO!"  
  
Maggie scored and did a victory lap.  
  
Soon the score went higher. Ravenclaw was furiously trying to prove that they were good at sports and in class, while the Gryffindor's were trying to hold onto what they had always beaten Ravenclaw in.  
  
Forty-five minutes later, the score was one hundred fifty to one hundred fifty, and the players were exhausted.  
  
"Watson's seen something!"  
  
Lily looked up just in time to see Gwen to a double take and then start speeding to the ground, with Ben gaining on her. She was on a Shooting Star Three Thousand while he was only on a Shooting Star.  
  
There was a collective gasp as they sped ever nearer to the ground. Lily could see the Snitch; it was hovering near the Ravenclaw goal posts.  
  
"Come on, Gwen!" Brent urged quietly.  
  
The stadium was totally quiet with anticipation. The Gryffindors rose as one and Lily gripped the two people next to her (Remus's and Mary Katherine's) arms in death grips.  
  
Gwen stretched out her hand – and -  
  
"YES!" Brent roared, but it was drowned out by the noise made from the Gryffindors.  
  
Gwen thrust her arm up and ascended, the Snitch clasped tightly in her fist. Her teammates hugged her tightly and did a victory lap. Lily was yelling herself hoarse.  
  
"And great job by Gryffindor! Three hundred to one-hundred fifty!"  
  
Lily and her friends ran onto the field. She tapped James on the shoulder. He turned around, grinned, and kissed her passionately, right there, with people and admirers all around them, but Lily really didn't care.  
  
A/N: Oh! I just love writing romance! I'm really sorry that it's so short, but the next chapter is going to be loooong!  
  
Next chapter: We take a trip to the Alps!! :) Btw, did you like my Quidditch match?  
  
REVIEW!!_


	11. Part One of the Ski Trip

A/N: Thanks to my beta's (Snowlily and Reine Dansante) and friends (Hermione Gulliver) who have put up with my ranting. Love you, y'all are so tolerant of me!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Bella  
  


**The Story of Lily**

****

****

Chapter Eleven: Part One of the Ski Trip (Sorry, I couldn't think of a better title)  
  
Lily's breath caught in her throat as she looked out the window at the Swedish Minister of Magic's home. The view was gorgeous. Feet of snow covered the ground, sparkling like precious gems. The forest was beautiful also, and very picturesque what with the snow covered pines everywhere.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" someone whispered in her ear.  
  
Lily knew it was James. He placed his arms around her waist and leaned on her shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, it's breathtaking," Lily whispered back.  
  
They stood there, drinking in each other and their surroundings until the very formally dressed butler stiffly told them dinner was ready.  
  
It was their first day at the Minister's house, and for Lily, her first time out of the country, for that matter. She had just put her bags in the room she was sharing with Gwen, and they both regretfully left the room.  
  
"Oh, James, there you are, dear!" Katharine Potter spotted her son and Lily as they headed into the dining room. "Lily, it's wonderful to see you again," she said sincerely to Lily, pulling her into a hug.  
  
"You too, Mrs. Potter," Lily replied, equally as sincere.  
  
"Lily!" Harry Potter boomed, standing up. "A pleasure, as always," he said, embracing her tightly and winking.  
  
Lily blushed slightly, aware that the entire group was congregated in the dining room and beaming at her.  
  
Lily had gone home with Ella the week before and spent the majority of her free time at Gwen's house. Gwen's mother Elizabeth had gotten extremely teary when she greeted Lily and Minister Watson had hugged her for what seemed like extra long. She was very glad to be back in their company.  
  
After the Lupin's greeted her, she noticed the older man who was sitting at the head of the table. His black hair was streaked gray and he had very tan skin. He was dressed in rich clothes. Minister Watson beckoned Lily over and she did so, quite nervously.  
  
"Minister Heinz, this is Lily Evans." Minister Watson told him courteously.  
  
Minister Heinz smiled at her and she smiled shyly back. He shook her hand.  
  
"It is nice to meet you, Miss Evans," he said, in a heavily accented voice.  
  
"Thank you, you too," Lily replied.  
  
"And, George, her aunt was the Adviser, correct?"  
  
Minister Watson looked down at Lily. "Actually, Berthold, she is the Adviser."  
  
There were no collective gasps, as Lily would have thought, except for Minister Heinz's and a woman who Lily hadn't noticed before that had to be his wife.  
  
Minister Heinz looked shocked and then he bowed deeply to her and took her hand. "This is a great honor," he said. "I have met your aunt, and at the time, she was not much older than you are." He smiled at her. "Miss Evans, this is my wife, Sacha Heinz."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Lily said cordially. Mrs. Heinz merely smiled and said her thanks in a very accented voice.  
  
They sat down, Lily in between Mrs. Lupin and James. The food was very good; a traditional Swiss meal. They went to bed very full. A maid had been up in Lily and Gwen's room and had put their things in drawers.  
  
Gwen collapsed on her side of the bed and laid a hand on her stomach. "Uh," she moaned. "I think I'm going to be sick."  
  
Lily laughed. "You shouldn't have had seconds, then!"  
  
"Shut up," Gwen moaned again.  
  
There was a small knock on the door and Mrs. Potter peeked her head in. "Girls, how about a nice cup of tea before bed?"  
  
"Sure, thanks, Mrs. Potter," Lily said brightly, tying her dressing gown on and dragging Gwen out of the bed. "Where?"  
  
"In the living room on this floor. We've got a lovely fire going."  
  
The two girls followed her into the brightly-lit room where the huge fireplace was roaring. There was a table with all sorts of tea (Lily chose Earl Grey) next to the fire. She found a blanket and sat down on the couch with Gwen. Soon, the boys emerged from their quarters (James and Sirius were in the room across from Lily and Gwen and Remus and Peter were to their left). James got a mug of tea and sat down next to Lily while Sirius sat next to Gwen.  
  
"James, have you ever skied before?" Peter piped up before Lily got the chance to say anything.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, looking very eager.  
  
"Is it hard?" Peter squeaked.  
  
"No, no, Pete, you'll be fine," James said reassuringly, patting his friend on the shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, but I know I'll kill myself," Remus said miserably.  
  
"Now, Moony, have faith in yourself!" James laughed.  
  
Lily looked between them, hoping to find some clue that would tell her why they used such nicknames for each other. James was called Prongs; Remus was called Moony; Sirius was called Padfoot; and Peter was called Wormtail. When she had asked James, he looked down at her for some time, until he finally said he would tell her someday. She couldn't help but feel slightly put out, but she trusted that James would tell her eventually.  
  
"I'll try," Remus said, putting on a brave smile.  
  
Lily smiled warmly at him. "Remus, I feel the same way!" she laughed, "I know I'll fall flat on my face!"  
  
Remus smiled, truly smiled, at her and stood up, draining the last bit of his tea. "Well, I'm off to bed," he smiled again at them and began walking to his room.  
  
"Pete, how about you go with him?" James asked innocently, winking at Lily.  
  
"I suppose I will, if you want me to, that is, James," he said, blushing.  
  
"Yeah, you go ahead, I'll be there in a bit."  
  
"Oh – alright," Peter said hastily, getting up heavily to his feet and walking to their room.  
  
Lily looked over at Gwen who was chatting, it seemed, almost affably with Sirius. Lily shot her friend a secret smile and sighed happily. This would be a perfect time to tell James about Sirius's 'crush'.  
  
"Hey James," she began, "have you noticed that Sirius has been acting, well, _strange around Gwen lately?" she whispered to him.  
  
He looked at her with amusement. "You mean, stranger than usual?"  
  
"James!" Lily grinned and punched him lightly threw her blanket.  
  
"Okay, okay. Yes, I have. Why?"  
  
"Because," Lily whispered dramatically, "he likes Gwen!"  
  
"Oh, I knew that," James said.  
  
Lily looked at him in disbelief. "Well, were you just not going to tell me?"  
  
"No, I knew you already knew too!"  
  
"Oh," Lily said, feeling quite put out.  
  
James grinned and put his arm around her. "Cheer up, Flower."  
  
Lily smiled. "James!" she said suddenly. "Why don't we try our luck at matchmaking?"  
  
"Sounds good to me." He sighed as he looked over Lily's head to Sirius and Gwen who were squabbling with each other. "They're certainly not going to get anywhere without help."  
  
"Yes," Lily sighed. "And since Gwen has been such a good friend, I feel like I should do something, you know?"  
  
James nodded. "Yeah, but the question is, what?"  
  
They puzzled for a minute, until James exclaimed, "I've got it!"  
  
"What?" Lily asked eagerly.  
  
"We leave them somewhere for a while! Like shut them in a toilet or something!"  
  
Lily started laughing, until she realized James wasn't. "You – you aren't serious," she chortled. When he nodded, she said, "James! You want to lock them in a toilet by themselves? They'll kill each other!"  
  
"No," he said slowly, "no, if they really do like each other, then they'll be snogging when we come and unlock them."  
  
"James, are you sure this will work?" Lily asked worriedly, her brow creased.  
  
"Yeah, of course it will, Lily," James said confidently. "And plus, the worst they can do is kill each other, right?"  
  
"James!"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily frowned at her boot. "These are so uncomfortable," she complained to Gwen.   
  
"Don't worry," her best friend said confidently, "you'll get used to them."  
  
"It stinks that everyone here is a Muggle," Sirius remarked, walking rather difficulty over to the bench where the girls were, "otherwise I would get your mum to put a Cushioning Charm on these boots."  
  
"All right," Mrs. Watson said, barely distinguishable through her thick Muggle ski coat, scarf, and hat. "Does everyone have skis, boots, and poles?"  
  
There were nods and sounds of affirmation. "Yes, well then, I'll go pay," Mrs. Watson pulled a wad of Swiss Muggle money out of a pocket in her coat.  
  
Lily started to try and snap her skis on, but Gwen stopped her.  
  
"No, Lils, you have to put them on outside."  
  
"Oh," Lily said, feeling disappointed.  
  
Mrs. Watson returned. "Okay, everyone, bundle up!" She smiled warmly and replaced her scarf.  
  
Lily had bought her ski things the day before. She had a coat, bibs, a hat, a scarf, and a very thick pair of socks on. She stood up wobbly, with help from James, grabbed her skis and poles, and walked very clumsily outside. She was pleased to note that Peter seemed to be having a much worse time than she was, and fell a few times.  
  
Finally, they all were assembled outside: Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Lupin, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Peter, and Gwen.  
  
"Hello, are you the Watson group?" A man who spoke in a broken English/Swiss accent approached them with two other people. All were wearing bright yellow ski jackets with the ski resort staff crest on them.  
  
"Yes, we are," Mrs. Watson shielded her eyes and looked at the man. "Would you be our ski instructors?"  
  
"Yes, we are," the man beamed. "I am Jose. This is Yvonne," he pointed to a woman behind him who was wearing ski goggles. She waved. "And this is Kathy. She is British, as you are," he gestured to the last woman.  
  
"Australian, actually!" she chirped.  
  
"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Mrs. Potter said.  
  
"Yes, you too," Jose said briskly. "Now, who here has ever been skiing?"  
  
Mrs. Watson, James, Gwen, and Sirius raised their hands.  
  
"All right, you will come with me. The rest of you will be split up into two groups," he said, and began helping his group with their skis. Once they were ready, they set off to the chair lift, grinning excitedly and waving.  
  
"All right, mates!" Kathy said, clapping her gloved hands together. "I'll take this pretty red head here," Lily obediently stood next to Kathy, "And…hmm…aren't you two mum and son?" She gestured to Mrs. Lupin and Remus.  
  
"Yes," Mrs. Lupin said, patting her son's shoulder, which was as high as she came up to on him.  
  
"Okay, then, I should split you up…you there, come with us, and then, you, come as well," she gestured to Mrs. Potter and Remus. "Rosa, you set?"  
  
"Yes," the other instructor replied in decent English.  
  
"Good, good! Then, you can take your lot over there and we'll stay here," Kathy said, not even waiting for a reply. "Now, first we should get acquainted," she said, and then pointed at Lily.  
  
"Lily Evans," Lily said.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, and you?" She then nodded her head at Mrs. Potter.  
  
"Katharine Potter."  
  
"Nice to meet you, and you, laddie?"  
  
"Remus Lupin."  
  
"Jolly good! Now, you lot've never been on skis before, have you?"  
  
Katharine, Remus, and Lily shook their heads 'no'.  
  
"Okay, first what you want to do is put your toe in the ski, yes, you've got it, Lily, and push with your heel. It should snap – yes! Like that, Katharine…no, no, Remus, you've got it all wrong…" she pushed down with Remus's heel and it snapped. "Good, now use your poles to steady yourselves and do the other one."  
  
Lily dug her poles into the ground and pushed. The ski made a reassuring snapping noise.  
  
"All right, everyone in? Good! Now, let's start with the basics…"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily, Katharine, and Remus returned to the Minister's house, laughing, their faces red with the cold, but happy none-the-less. They stacked their skis next to the door and began taking off their outerwear.  
  
"Oh, Remus, that last fall was hilarious," Lily was laughing as she struggled with her coat.  
  
"Yes, I agree, quite funnier than the one before that!" Katharine giggled.  
  
"Yes, it's all good fun poking at Remus, isn't it?" Remus said good-naturedly.  
  
"Quite, our favorite thing to do," Lily teased.  
  
"Lily, you were marvelous. I won't be surprised if you start on an intermediate course tomorrow!" Katharine praised. She had insisted that Lily call her Katharine.  
  
"Oh, you really were wonderful too, Mrs. – I mean, Katharine." It still felt odd to her, though.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened right behind the three and Peter and Mrs. Lupin stamped in, both chuckling and covered in snow.  
  
"Peter and I took a few good falls," Mrs. Lupin said, smiling at Peter.  
  
"It seems so! You're covered in snow!" Katharine exclaimed.  
  
"Ah, they're home, George!" Harry Potter boomed. "Katharine, my snow angel, how did you do?"  
  
Katharine laughed. "Snow angel, Harry?"  
  
"Well, you certainly look like one," Mr. Potter winked and hugged her tightly. "And how did Miss Lily do?"  
  
"Oh, Lily was wonderful," Remus said, struggling with his ski boots.  
  
Lily blushed. "Did you fall?" Mr. Potter inquired.  
  
"No! Not once!" Katharine exclaimed, hugging Lily's shoulders.  
  
"Good," he said, his eyes sparkling. He took Lily's icy hand. "Oh, my! Dear God, your hand is freezing! Come, come into the living room! There's a marvelous fire."  
  
He led Lily into the comfortable room where tea was being served. Mr. Lupin looked up and smiled at his wife and son. "How did it go?" he asked quietly. Mrs. Lupin went and sat next to him, Remus on his other side.  
  
"And my women are still out there?" Minister Watson smiled.  
  
"Yes, they were in a separate group," Lily explained, putting a lump of sugar in her tea. She sat down next to Katharine.  
  
"We're back!" Sirius's unmistakable voice carried through the hall. Lily grinned and set her teacup down and raced into the hall.  
  
They were all looking totally composed without one spot of snow on them.  
  
"Lily!" Gwen shrieked, grinning hugely.  
  
"Lily!" Sirius mimicked.  
  
Gwen glared threateningly at him and he smiled charmingly. James and Lily shared a secret smile and he winked.  
  
"So, how was your skiing?" Lily asked, still smiling.  
  
"Oh, it was great!" Gwen gushed, her face shining. "What about you?"  
  
"I love it, Gwen! Thanks so much for inviting me!" Lily said, hugging her best friend tightly.  
  
"Oh, don't mention it," Gwen said.  
  
"Oh, don't mention it!" Sirius mimicked in a ridiculous voice.  
  
Gwen made to kick him but he moved out of her way swiftly and ran behind Mrs. Potter, who was standing in the doorway, laughing.  
  
"Sirius Black, you come out here and face me like a man!" Gwen sad furiously.  
  
"Gwen Watson, you couldn't make me, even in your dreams!" Sirius answered, smiling at her charmingly again.  
  
Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Lily. "Is it just me, or is he incredibly annoying?" she demanded, her eyes blazing.  
  
"No, it's just you, because-" _

Lily placed her hand over her boyfriend's mouth and smiled quickly. "Because you're the only one who he likes to annoy, Gwen," Lily covered quickly, glaring slightly at James as she removed her hand.  
  
James shifted and Lily poked him in the ribs with her elbow. "Yeah, that's right," he quickly said.  
  
Gwen removed her hat irritably and Sirius cautiously made his way back next to the door and took off his ski boots. He smiled winningly and she softened barely.  
  
Lily cleared her throat. "James, would you help me in the kitchen?" she inquired casually.  
  
"Sure," he said, getting the hint.  
  
He followed her into the kitchen and she put her hands on her hips. "James, you ought to be more careful."  
  
He grinned at her and put his hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, I will."  
  
Lily softened her angry demeanor light years away as she stared into his chocolate eyes. They leaned in and kissed softly. Lily's heart soared as she melted into him, enjoying his sweet taste.  
  
They pulled back, Lily's emerald eyes shining.  
  
"I could get used to that," James said, tracing her cheekbone lightly.  
  
"Mmm, I already am," Lily said, closing her eyes and enjoying his touch immensely. She opened her eyes regretfully and sighed. "We need to put our plan into action," she murmured, inhaling his boyish scent.  
  
"Yeah," he pulled back to look her in the face. "I say we do it today."  
  
"Yes, but how?"  
  
"Simple. We find a closet and trick them into going in there together."  
  
Lily laughed softly. "I thought it was a toilet."  
  
"No, no, a closet's nice and dark," he said finally.  
  
"Alright, I suppose," Lily smiled. "But which? There are so many choices!"  
  
"I say the one in the basement so no one will hear them."  
  
"James!" Lily hit him lightly. "How long are we going to leave them in there?"  
  
"Oh, a few hours should do it," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.  
  
"Well, if you're sure." Lily sighed. "You know, we are putting a lot on the line, here. I could lose my brother and my best friend."  
  
"Yeah, I could too. But," he said cheerfully, "they'll forgive us eventually!"  
  
Lily opened her mouth to say something, but James placed his mouth on it so she was unable to even recall what she was going to say anyway, much less voice it.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily cautiously approached Gwen, who was fuming and brushing her hot pink hair. "Gwen, it really isn't a bad color, dear."  
  
Gwen slowly turned towards Lily. "Lily," she hissed, and Lily cowered, "I HATE Sirius Black!"  
  
Lily winced. "Now, Gwen, you don't hate him, you just think you do!"  
  
"No, I know I do!" she snapped, turning back to her hair. "To think, I was STUPID enough to take a lolly-pop from _him!"  
  
"Gwen, it'll wear off in a few hours," Lily said as a last ditch attempt to get her to warm up to Sirius again. She checked her watch. Right now, James was persuading Sirius to look for something in a closet. She was supposed to be downstairs in about three minutes. "Come on, let's go downstairs…James said the basement had a secret passage!"  
  
"Lily, there are secret passages all over Hogwarts!" Gwen snapped again, but followed her friend out of the room, down three flights, and into the cold basement.  
  
"Hey James!" Lily called, unnaturally loudly as she paused at the bottom of the stairs. "Have you found that secret passage yet?"  
  
"Yeah!" he replied, as unnatural as she, "come on and see it!"  
  
The two girls walked into a large room with a closet that was open. They heard rustling from inside – Sirius.  
  
"Here, Gwen, why don't you go first?" James asked, stepping aside.  
  
She irritably stalked into the closet and James shut it and locked it. "Yes!" Lily whispered.  
  
"Hey James, there's no-"  
  
"Sirius, what're you doing in here?!" Lily heard Gwen ask.  
  
"I'm looking for the secret passage. What are you doing?"  
  
"The same - ouch! That was my toe, you bloody git!"  
  
"Sorry!" Sirius said sarcastically. "Anyway, James, there isn't a secret passage." They heard him turn the doorknob. "Hey! James, the door's stuck! James!"  
  
Lily and James were shaking with silent laughter.  
  
"Oh, Sirius, move, would you?" They heard Gwen shove him aside and turn the doorknob herself. "Hey, Lils, the door's locked." She paused for a moment, and when Lily didn't answer, she yelled, "LILY! THE DOOR'S STUCK!" with definite panic.  
  
"Move, Gwen!" Sirius cried. There was more scuffling, and then the sound that could only be Sirius throwing himself against the door.  
  
"Sirius, that is __never going to work! HELP! Lily Carolyn Evans, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"  
  
"Sorry Gwen!" Lily said cheerfully, leaning against the door.  
  
"Yeah, sorry!" James said, leaning next to her.  
  
"What do you want?!" Gwen demanded.  
  
"We want you both to sort out your differences, and face your feelings," James said slyly, grinning at Lily.  
  
"Face our-" Sirius spluttered.  
  
"I haven't got any idea what you're talking about!" Gwen yelled, panic-stricken.  
  
"No, you do, my dearest Gwen," James said slyly. "Now, if you all agree on something, we'll let you out. It's as simple as that."  
  
"Yes, and we'll check up on you each hour, don't worry!" Lily said, grinning at James.  
  
"Lily-"  
  
"James-"  
  
The both began at the same time, but cut off and Gwen said huffily, "It won't do us any good to protest, Sirius."  
  
"Nope, it wouldn't!" James said cheerfully.  
  
"Please don't kill each other," Lily begged.  
  
"No, I'm not going to kill her when I get out. I'm going after a certain BEST FRIEND and SISTER when I get out." Sirius growled.  
  
"Padfoot, my friend, Lily and I are only looking out for your best interests, right Lils?" James said, placing an arm around her shoulders and grinning at her.  
  
"Right," Lily confirmed, smiling up at him.  
  
"Well, ciao, we must be off!" James said merrily as he steered Lily out of the room.  
  
"Oh, my GOD they weren't kidding!" Gwen exclaimed, as she and Sirius began pounding on the door.  
  
James shut and locked the door behind him, and the noises were quite muffled. "And you did put the voice box in there?" Lily asked as they made the long journey up the stairs.  
  
"Yep," he said as he pulled a blue box out of his pocket. He pushed a button and Gwen and Sirius's voices came through it.  
  
"I'm going to kill her!"   
  
"I'm going to kill her too!"   
  
"NO! You kill James, and I get to kill Lily!"  
  
"Who says?"  
  
"I do!"  
  
"What if I don't want to kill James?"  
  
"Get over it, because I'm killing Lily!"  
  
James smiled at the box as the two continued squabbling. "Kind of humorous to think our best friends are fighting over which of us to kill."  
  
"Yeah, it is rather disturbing." Lily agreed.  
  
They entered the living room. It was deserted except for a lone figure in front of the large fireplace. Lily recognized him as Peter immediately because of his pointed nose and bulk. He seemed to be rubbing his forearm and wincing every once in a while. Lily shot a questioning glance at James and James looked back, worry etched in his handsome features.  
  
"Peter?" he called to his friend.  
  
Peter jumped a mile into the air and turned around, breathing heavily. "Oh - hi – hi James, Lily," he stared at the floor as he said their names.  
  
"What's wrong, Wormtail old buddy?"  
  
__There is that blasted nick-name again! Lily though with frustration.  
  
"No-nothing, James," Peter stuttered nervously, still staring at the floor.  
  
"Is there something wrong with your arm?" James asked gently.  
  
"No!" Peter exclaimed in a high, slightly terrified voice as he jumped up, "Why – why would there be something wrong with my arm? There's nothing wrong with my arm!"   
"Okay, if you're sure…" James said, still looking quite doubtful.  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, I think I'll go take a kip!" and he scampered out of the room, faster than Lily had thought possible for a boy his size.  
  
Lily sat down next to James. "Wonder what's wrong with him?"  
  
James shook his head, looking miserable. "I don't know. He's been acting – well, different since he came back this year. I think it's maybe because…well, maybe it's because he feels left out," James said, looking terribly guilty. "I mean, Sirius and Remus and I, we never try to leave him out, but sometimes, he just gets shunted to the side, you know?"  
  
"Yeah," Lily said, rubbing his back comfortingly, "I'm sure it's just a phase. He'll get over it."  
  
"I hope you're right," James said, sighing again.  
  
"James," Lily said, pausing, wondering if this would be a good time to ask him about the nick- names again.  
  
"Yes?" he prompted, sensing something was up.  
  
"Well, I know you said you would tell me later…is this a good time?" Lily blurted.  
  
"Tell you what later?" James asked, looking bewildered.  
  
"Well, you know those nick-names you use? Why?"  
  
James sighed heavily. "Lily," he broke off, and looked as though he was thinking very hard. Suddenly, he lifted his eyes to hers and said quickly, "Lily, have you ever noticed how Remus disappears a lot?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said, furrowing her brows. "Yes, to visit his mother…I didn't know she was so sick. She doesn't look it."  
  
James swallowed. "Well, that's because she's fine. She has been in perfectly good health for as long as I've known her."  
  
"Alright," Lily said slowly, "then why does he go visit her?"  
  
"He doesn't," James said shortly.  
  
"Then where does he go?" Lily asked curiously, wondering where this was going.  
  
"He – he goes to the Shrieking Shack."  
  
Lily gasped. "You mean, that horrible haunted house in Hogsmeade?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What? Why?" Lily demanded.  
  
"Because – well, Lily, he's a werewolf."  
  
Lily's jaw dropped. "A – a __werewolf?"  
  
James nodded. "Yes. But Lily, please don't tell."  
  
"I won't, but a werewolf?" Lily's head spun. Gentle, kind Remus was the last person she would ever dream to be a werewolf!  
  
"I know," he sighed, "it's horrible."  
  
"When did you find out?"  
  
"Beginning of second year," he said, smiling at the memory. "We cornered him and told him we knew where he really went each month. He hadn't told us because he was afraid that we would shun him, like all the other friends he had made. He was ready to have us disown him, but instead, we found something that would help him. He was quite surprised we wanted to be near him."  
  
Lily's heart went out to Remus. "How did you find out?"  
  
"It was easy," James shrugged. "We studied the moon charts, found out that his Mum was never sick, via me asking my Mum, and we followed him under Dad's Invisibility Cloak one night."  
  
"Wow, and to think, I never even suspected a thing!" Lily shook her head in surprise. Then a light bulb clicked on in her head. "But I should have! When I showed him my silver bracelet, he went pale and left in a hurry! And in fourth year, with the Boggart, it turned into a moon! All though, I didn't know it was a moon at the time." She thought for a moment, and then her eyes lit up. "And that's why his name is Moony!"  
  
James grinned at her enthusiasm. "Yep, you're right on target."  
  
"Then why do you have nick names? You and Sirius and Peter?"  
  
"Lily, we wanted to help Remus, right? And you know that we couldn't be with him in human form, so," he paused for a moment, and then lowered his voice, "we became Animagi."  
  
Lily's breath came in a sharp gasp. "You – that's advanced magic! Even some of the most powerful, certified wizards can't do that successfully!"  
  
James smiled wryly. "I know, but we can, and did."  
  
To his surprise, her face lit up and she smiled widely. "Can I see?"  
  
He looked at he for a moment, and then wordlessly took her upstairs and into a spare room. He shut the door firmly. "All right, here goes."  
  
And with a faint pop! he was gone, and in his place was a gorgeous white stag. Lily's breath caught in her throat. "Oh James," she murmured, petting his neck and threading her fingers through his snow-white mane. He bumped her gently with his nose and she smiled at him. "Prongs," she said, her eyes brimming with unexplained tears. "I get it." He popped back into his regular body and she hugged him. "Oh, James! You were magnificent!"  
  
He simply smiled. "Can you figure out Padfoot and Wormtail?"  
  
Lily thought hard. "Hmm, well, cats have padded feet…is Sirius a cat?"  
  
"Lily, it's also his name."  
  
"Sirius…Oh! The dog-star! Is Sirius a dog?" she asked eagerly.  
  
"Yep, you hit the nail on the head." James smiled.  
  
"Oh – right, and that must mean Peter is a…a - worm?"  
  
"No, but he has a tail that look's like a worm."  
  
"Okay…a mouse?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"No, but you're really, really close."  
  
"Oh, a rat!"  
  
"Exactly, my flower," he grinned and steered her out into the hall. "We should go check on Gwen and Sirius…damn, I think I left the voice box in the living room…"  
  
"James Potter!" Katharine's shrill voice carried up the stairs.  
  
"Yes, I did, and Mum's found it, I'll bet you a Galleon."  
  
"No, I think you're right," Lily said as they hurried down the stairs. Katharine Potter was standing with one hand on her hip, the other holding the blue box.  
  
"Sirius!"  
  
"Gwen!"  
  
Lily and James cried at the same time. For it was true, both Gwen and Sirius were standing on either side Katharine, looking quite smug.  
  
"James, did you lock them in the closet?" Katharine asked. Lily could practically feel the heat radiating off of her.  
  
"Well, you see, Mum, Lily and I had their best interests in mind," James said, as though it was the most logical thing in the world.  
  
"Lily, you were in this too?" Katharine's tone was disbelieving.  
  
Lily bit her lip and nodded.  
  
"What possessed you…?" she spluttered.  
  
"Well, Mum, they were going to kill each other or someone around them, so we figured that it might do them good if they were stranded together," James said, quite philosophically.  
  
Katharine sighed. "James," she shook her head and smiled. "I suppose it was stupid of me to think we could go somewhere and you wouldn't pull a stunt of some kind."  
  
"Mum! You call this a stunt?!"  
  
"James, I will not punish you if you promise not to lock someone in a closet again. Deal?"  
  
"Yes, all right," James said miserably.  
  
Katherine smiled in spite of herself and ruffled his already untidy hair. "That's my good boy, Jimmy."  
  
"Mum!"  
  
"Sorry, James dear." And with an amused sigh, she left the room.  
  
"Well, Lily how about we erm, go…somewhere…" James said as he backed away from Gwen and Sirius.  
  
"Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea, James," Lily said nervously as she fumbled for the doorknob.  
  
"No, you aren't going anywhere, I'm afraid," Remus said slyly as he locked the door and smirked at them through the glass panel on the other side.  
  
"Remus, Remus no, you wouldn't!" Lily pleaded.  
  
He simply smiled deviously and Lily immediately saw the side of him that enjoying pranks. She lost herself for a moment, and turned inward, thinking of all the harmful things said and done to people who couldn't help being different. Remus, for example, and how he didn't deserve to be shunned just because of something that happens to him once a month. He wasn't a monster, and he didn't deserve to be treated like one.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that evening, Gwen shared with Lily that something __did happen between her and Sirius in the closet. No matter how hard Lily pried, the only thing Gwen would say was that she thought they wouldn't be fighting any time soon.  
  
A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but things have been reeaally hectic. Love you who review!!  
  
Bella_


	12. Sweet Misery

This chapter is sweet. Might I recommend fetching some tissues? I think you'll need them. Many thanks to my dear beta's, Snowlily and Reine Dansante. Review, my loves.  
  
  


**The Story of Lily**

****

_Sweet misery you cause me  
That's what you called me  
Sweet misery you cause me___

_And in my heart I see, oh  
What you're doing to me  
And in my heart I see, oh  
Just how you wanted it to be  
Sweet misery___

_~Courtesy Michelle Branch's "Sweet Misery"_

Chapter 12: Sweet Misery  
  
"Gwen! Gweeennniiieee! Get up! It's CHRISTMAS!"  
  
Lily snapped awake at the sound of Sirius' voice. She moaned and rolled over, only to see his face a few inches from Gwen's.  
  
Smack!  
  
"Jeez, Gwen, your no fun," Sirius complained, rubbing his cheek. Gwen sat up; hair tousled, and kissed him.  
  
He stumbled backwards, a dazed look on his face, and waved to Lily, slightly cross-eyed. "Morning, Lils," he said, and grinned blissfully.  
  
Lily laughed in spite of herself and looked at Gwen, who smiled and stretched. "Morning, Lily. Happy Christmas," she said sleepily.  
  
"Morning, Gwen. Sirius," she turned to him and frowned. "As much as I know you would like to stay, you need to leave so we can get dressed."  
  
"Oh, do I?" he said sadly. Lily grinned and nodded, mock-sadly.  
  
He grinned at them wistfully and then slumped out of their bedroom.  
  
The girls dressed quickly. The ache that had first rendered them unable to move from skiing had passed the more they got used to it. They walked downstairs and into the grand living room where a huge Christmas tree stood, gleaming majestically because of its sparkling ornaments.  
  
There was an enormous pile of gifts, and already Mrs. Lupin and Mrs. Watson were attempting to separate them into piles. It was a fruitless task, however, since Sirius would grab and open every gift that was placed into his pile, until Katharine jerked the wrapped gifts from him and placed them beside her.  
  
Lily and Gwen watched this from a distance, giggling until their stomachs hurt.  
  
"Sirius, you sit!" Katharine cried, fed up with his attempts to steal back his gifts. She spotted Lily and Gwen and stood up and hugged them. "Happy Christmas, my dears."  
  
From there, it was hugs and Christmas greetings from everyone. The girls and adults ate breakfast while allowing James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter first dibs on the gifts. Lily caught James's eyes and stood up, motioning him over.  
  
"I want to give you your gift later," she whispered as he kissed her forehead.  
  
"Yeah, me too," he whispered back, smiling.  
  
They gazed into each other's eyes until Sirius interrupted them.  
  
"Oi! Lily! C'mere, I want you to open my gift to you!" he boomed.  
  
Lily sighed and tore her eyes away, pulling James with her as she walked to Sirius and sat down next to him.  
  
Sirius stood up shortly after, calling for quiet. The room's noise level died, and he pulled Lily up from the floor next to him.  
  
"I found this while I was searching your attic, Lily. It belongs to you. I don't know how it got there, or why it was never found until me." His voice was serious and kind. "Maybe it was fate." He smiled gently at her and handed her the package. "Here, open it."  
  
She hesitantly pulled the ribbon and wrapping paper off. It was a white box. She opened it slowly, and gasped. "I had it polished for you," Sirius added modestly.  
  
"Oh," Lily gasped, tears filling her vision.  
  
It was a silver locket in the shape of an oval. On the front it had a carving of an iris and a violet intertwined. On the back it said in fine script: _Iris and Violet: Best Friends Forever.  
  
She opened the locket with trembling hands and a picture of a woman with strawberry-blonde hair and vivid green eyes smiled up at her, face unmoving. On the other side, a woman with true blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes also smiled at her, slightly younger than the first.  
  
"Oh, Sirius," she whispered, tears pouring down her cheeks as she hugged him tightly, the hand holding the locket limp. She pulled back, sniffling, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, you have-no idea how much it means..."  
  
The locket was passed from person to person, Mrs. Watson, Gwen, Mrs. Lupin, and Katharine crying silently. When the locket was passed back to her, Sirius fastened it around Lily's neck and the room was silent for a moment, until Mr. Potter broke it by handing Lily his handkerchief. She smiled at him gratefully and said, "I'm all right, really I am."  
  
Christmas resumed, and it turned out to be Lily's best one yet, even without James's gift, which she was waiting anxiously for. She received a charm bracelet from Remus and Peter as their joint present which nearly made her cry, what with the lily, violet, and iris flowers on it, along with a tiny wand that shot gold and scarlet stars out of it. Gwen gave her a gilded silver mirror that had her initials and an elaborate carving of a lily on the back. All you had to do was tell the mirror what you wanted done to your face or hair and it was done in seconds.  
  
When Lily had opened all of her presents from her friends, Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Lupin summoned two boxes from another room and presented them to Gwen and Lily.  
  
Looking curiously at each other, Gwen and Lily opened the boxes and gasped. White graduation robes were folded neatly inside, made of fine satin. "Oh, Mum," Gwen said to her mother.  
  
Elizabeth Watson smiled. "Yes, George, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, and I thought they were very fitting. Now you two won't go through the hassle of trying to pick out dresses when it's time for your graduation."  
  
"Thank you!" Lily and Gwen said at the same time, grinning at them happily as they held the robes up to their bodies. They were satin and looked to be loose yet form-fitting.  
  
"We'll have to try them on upstairs!" Gwen said excitedly to Lily.  
  
"Yes!" Lily agreed, then looked around at the others. "Unless, you want to see them," she said politely.  
  
"No, no dear, surprise us," Mrs. Lupin said, smiling at them.  
  
"Hey, speak for yourself," Sirius said eagerly.  
  
"No, that invite did not stretch to you boys," Gwen said slyly.  
  
"Wait, girls, before you get too excited!" Katharine burst, summoning two much smaller packages from another room.  
  
Lily and Gwen carefully folded the robes and put them back into their boxes. Then they eagerly took the packages from Katharine who looked just as anxious.  
  
Inside Lily's box was tissue paper. She carefully removed the paper and then gasped. It was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.  
  
It started with a silver chain, and that chain, like a spider web, broke off into smaller chains in a beautiful pattern. Lily's was studded with emeralds the exact color of her eyes, while Gwen's was studded with sapphires the exact color of her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Katharine," Lily gasped, touching the gorgeous necklace with trembling fingers.  
  
"We – we can't," Gwen said weakly, and Lily nodded emphatically in agreement.  
  
"Of course you can!" Mr. Potter said, grinning at them. "We had them specially made. There's no way to return them, so you might as well keep them." His eyes sparkled. "They will look a lot better on you than me, and Katharine has enough jewelry to sink a ship."  
  
"Thank you," Lily breathed, and hugged both of them tightly.  
  
"We made your dresses sort of immodestly cut to go with the necklaces," Mrs. Watson smiled. "You two are going to be the bells of the ball!"  
  
Lily closed her eyes for a minute, déjà vu taking her over. Ella had said the same thing, all those years ago, when Violet and Lily had been leaving for the Ministry Ball…  
  
"Lils?" A deep voice sounded in her ears. She smiled and opened her eyes to face James. "Are you okay?" he asked, a tint of worry in his voice and face.  
  
She smiled again. "Couldn't be better."  
  
"Okay," he said, grinning suddenly. "D'you want your present?"  
  
"Sure!" Lily exclaimed excitedly. They sneaked out the back door and hurried up the stairs. Lily went into her room and grabbed the flat parcel from inside her drawer, quivering with anxiety. They met in the hall, James carrying a large package, and together they walked into the common room and Lily held out her package to him. "Open mine first."  
  
"Okay," he said, smiling curiously. He opened the package carefully. "Oh, Lily," he murmured, studying it.  
  
Lily had gotten him a large picture frame that was silver with `Lily' engraved in fine script at the top and `James' engraved at the bottom. The frame was a collage of pictures of just the two of them, taken throughout the year by Gwen and Sirius. The pictures included them in various shops in Hogsmeade, drinking butter beer in the Three Broomsticks, lounging in the Common room at Hogwarts, kissing in the hall, having a snowball fight on the lawn, and other things. But Lily's favorite was perfectly centered in the middle, the largest picture of all. It featured a silhouette of them outside in the moonlight, looking over the Hogwarts lake. James had his arm around Lily and she had her head on his shoulder.  
  
"It's great," he said, his eyes shining. "Thank you, Lily," and he kissed her gently on the forehead.  
  
She smiled happily. "I'm glad you like it."  
  
"Do you want yours now?" he asked, bringing the package out from behind him.  
  
"Yes!" she squealed, taking it from him. She opened it excitedly. It turned out to be a wooden box that split in half horizontally and was held together by a gold clasp. On the top, carved into the wood, was a stag holding a – Lily squinted – a tiny lily in its mouth! "Oh James! It's beautiful!"  
  
"Lily," he said, chuckling, "You have to open it! That's the best part!"  
  
He gently took it from her and opened it. She gasped. It was a jewelry box, lined with white satin and dark blue satin trim. Music was playing softly, and in the middle, on a raised platform, was a tiny model of herself, dancing with a tiny model of James. The model/Lily had on white satin dress robes and the model/James had dark blue dress robes on.  
  
Petunia had had a music jewelry box with a tiny ballerina rotating in the middle to corny music, but the figures in Lily's were real. They were moving like actual humans, and she watched as the model/James whispered something in the model/Lily's. She laughed a tinkling laugh. "Oh, James," the real Lily whispered, running her hand along the fabric. "It's gorgeous."  
  
He blushed and looked at his hands. "I thought you would like it, since you've gotten all of this jewelry for Christmas."  
  
"It's perfect," she said honestly, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Thank you. Goodness, I feel like mine is nothing compared to yours!" Lily exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.  
  
"No, Lily, it's perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better present," he said seriously. She grinned and kissed him happily.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
After Christmas day lunch, Lily and Gwen raced upstairs with their presents, eager to try on their new robes. Gwen went into peals of delight when she examined Lily's enchanted jewelry box. The same went for Lily when she saw Sirius's present to Gwen- a stuffed unicorn (Gwen's favorite animal) that came to life and loved to be petted.  
  
"Okay," Gwen said briskly after she had looked her fill at Lily's gift. "I need to name my unicorn."  
  
The unicorn was a baby girl, with golden hooves, and a small horn. "Hmm," Lily said, stroking its neck. "What about Goldy?"  
  
"Eww," Gwen said, wrinkling her nose. "No...Aha! I've got it! What about Caterina! Do you like that?"  
  
"Yes, but where did you come up with that?"  
  
"It means 'pure' and if a baby unicorn isn't pure, then what is?"  
  
"Yes, you're right. Maybe we could lend him to Professor Kettleburn! He wouldn't have to catch any baby unicorns for class!" Lily joked, referring to their battered Care of Magical Creatures teacher.  
  
Gwen snorted. "Anyway, I like that name. Come here, Caterina," she cooed to the unicorn.  
  
Caterina walked over to Gwen and licked her palm. "Oh! She came! I think she likes her name! Don't you, Caterina? Yes, you do! Yes, you do!" Gwen put on a baby voice and began rubbing her.  
  
"Gwen, let's try on our robes!" Lily exclaimed, pulling her friend.  
  
"What am I going to do about Cat?"  
  
"Cat…"  
  
"Yes, it's Caterina's nickname."  
  
"Turn her back into a stuffed animal, of course."  
  
"But-" Gwen whimpered.  
  
Lily grabbed her wand off of her dresser and tapped the unicorn. It instantly turned back into a stuffed toy.  
  
Gwen glared at her, but then got excited and grabbed her robes. "Okay, hurry and change!"  
  
They changed quickly and then admired the robes. They were long – the hems graced the floor – and smooth. They were loose but not entirely, and the sleeves were lovely and came to their wrists. The neck was square, and when the girls put their necklaces on, they looked stunning.  
  
"Wow," Lily breathed, admiring herself in the mirror.  
  
"We're gonna knock `em dead!" Gwen exclaimed, twirling gracefully.  
  
"Yeah," Lily agreed, twirling as well.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The rest of the trip passed happily, and all were quite reluctant to leave. But soon, the rented skis were back in the shop, and their bags were packed and much heavier than when they started out.  
  
"Okay, you lot! Quiet!" Mr. Potter yelled over the heads of the people assembled in the common room upstairs. Everyone quieted almost immediately. "Good," he grinned. "Now, as it is polite, let's have ladies first! You all know which house you are going to, and then we're all to meet at George's house at six for the New Year's Eve party! Let's have the ladies up here!"  
  
Lily leaned down and took hold of the handle of her roll suitcase and followed Gwen to the fireplace.  
  
"Ah, Miss Evans, it was a pleasure to have met you, my dear. I do hope we will be working together in the near future." The Swedish Minister bowed to Lily.  
  
"It was nice to meet you too, sir. And thank you for letting us stay," Lily said.  
  
"Oh, think nothing of it! I trust your first time skiing was satisfactory?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Lily said energetically.  
  
"Well, goodbye, my dear." He bowed again.  
  
"Goodbye," Lily said sadly to him and his wife.  
  
"Come now, Lily, your turn," Mr. Potter said, ushering her to the roaring fireplace. "You know to go to the Watson's. Elizabeth is there already."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Lily said, taking the pinch of Floo Powder from the crystal jar and throwing it into the flames. They turned green and Lily stepped in regretfully. She clutched the handle of her suitcase and made sure her bag was securely on her arm. "The Watson's!" she yelled, and disappeared with a whoosh!  
  
Lily was used to Floo travel by now, and she knew better than to have her eyes open. She shut them tightly and seconds later, the dizzying spin stopped and she stumbled out onto the Watson's hearth.  
  
"Mademoiselle Lilee!"  
  
Lily brushed her clothes off and grinned. "Ella!" She hugged her guardian tightly while Mrs. Watson hastily moved her suitcase just in time, for Gwen fell ungracefully out seconds later.  
  
"Ugh, I hate Floo! I can't wait until I can Apparate!" she exclaimed vehemently.  
  
Lily laughed and pulled her friend to her feet. "Me too," she agreed solemnly.  
  
"Gwendolyn, take your suitcase up to your room and unpack," Mrs. Watson said, handing her daughter her suitcase and emphasizing "up to your room" and "unpack". "And, girls, Ella and I decided that tonight you should be in your own homes, or in other words, no spending the night together."  
  
"Okay," Lily agreed, eager to get into her own bed.  
  
"Sounds good. I wasn't really looking forward to sharing a bed with her tonight," Gwen jerked her thumb over her shoulder, mock-disgusted. Lily grinned at her.  
  
"Lilee, do yoo want to go `ome and unpack now, or wait until we go `ome tonight after ze party?" Ella asked, brushing Lily's back off.  
  
"Tonight," Lily said, hoping to prolong the inevitable (packing) for a bit longer.  
  
"Very well. Elizabez, can I `elp yoo wiz anyzing?" Ella offered as she placed Lily's suitcase and bag in the entrance hall.  
  
"No, that's all right, I'll just alert the kitchen that we need something as far as refreshments go. I'll have a glass of wine though, in the living room. What will you have?"  
  
Lily and Gwen trudged up the back stairs and to Gwen's room. They chatted while Gwen unpacked, and soon, the sound of thumping shoes was heard outside and Sirius, Remus, and James burst inside.  
  
Lily jumped and turned. "Where's Peter?" she asked, brows furrowed.  
  
"He said he had to spend time with his family," James said, shrugging as he sat next to her on the bed.  
  
"Yeah, it's kind of strange, though," Remus said thoughtfully, sitting in a chair.  
  
"Why?" Lily asked, leaning forward.  
  
"Well, his family-" Remus broke off and looked at James and Sirius.  
  
"His family is... well..." James said, trying to find the right word.  
  
"Different," Sirius blurted, petting Cat the unicorn's head.  
  
"How so?" Gwen inquired, putting a pair of boots into her closet.  
  
"Well, they don't really act like a family is all," Remus explained. "They've never really been close, and you know, they all thought Peter was to be a Squib."  
  
"Squib?" Lily asked dubiously.  
  
"Yeah, it's a Muggle born into a magic family." Sirius said.  
  
"Yes, and it was quite a shock to them when he got his letter," James said, "and his grades are so atrocious that they've never been very kind to Peter."  
  
"Right," Remus said, looking thoughtful again, "And I've met his parents." He shook his sandy brown hair. "They aren't very nice. Rather stuck up. I'm surprised Peter has turned out the way he is, and he's not nasty like they are. I'm sure his parents are Death Eaters."  
  
Gwen gasped and Lily winced. "Have there been anymore attacks lately?" Lily half-whispered.  
  
"Yeah," James answered. "My uncle was at our house when I got there. You know, the frail one with the knobbly knees?"  
  
"Yeah," Sirius said, looking interested. "What did he want?"  
  
"My dad's not here. He had to go to the Ministry," James looked depressed.  
  
"Well, you're used to him leaving, right? Being an Auror and all?" Gwen asked with concern.  
  
"It's not the leaving part I don't like, it's what he has to do these days," James shook his head. "With Voldemort and his people growing strength..." he sighed and trailed off.  
  
Lily rubbed his back comfortingly. "He'll be okay. He's the best Auror out there!" she said lightly, wanting to cheer him up.  
  
"Yeah," James said, smiling slightly.  
  
"So," Gwen said, searching for another topic. "Oh, Sirius, change please. I want Cat to get used to seeing dogs."  
  
Sirius turned pale and jerked his head in Lily's direction.  
  
"It's all right," she said, a bit upset that he didn't want her to know, "James told me."  
  
"Then you know about…" Remus said in a low voice, not meeting her gaze. Everyone froze, their eyes on Lily.  
  
"Yes, Remus," Lily said, hopping off the bed and into his line of vision. "And I don't care."  
  
Relief spread through his features and Lily hugged him tightly. She released him, her eyes bright. "Yes, please do change, Sirius, I want to see if you're as big as James said you are."  
  
"Okay," he grinned and shrugged, and turned into a great big, shaggy dog with a pop.  
  
"Good Lord, you're huge!" Lily exclaimed, sinking onto her knees and scratching him behind the ears.  
  
He licked her face and James sprang up. "No, bad dog, none of that!" he exclaimed, holding Lily and shooing Sirius. Gwen and Remus laughed, and Sirius placed a large paw up into the air in defeat.  
  
"Come here, Sirius!" Gwen said in her baby voice, and he growled shortly. "Oh, but you are Gwennie's baby, aren't you, sweetums?" She kissed him smack between the eyes and brought Cat up to him.  
  
The unicorn balked, the whites showing in her eyes, but Sirius just sat there patiently. After a while, they managed to get Cat to stand still and Sirius sniffed her. Half an hour later saw the unicorn permanently attached to the great black dog, and was very displeased when he turned back into a human.  
  
"Ugh, unicorns smell so bland!" he said, rubbing his nose. "I mean, they even smell pure and white!"  
  
Gwen rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself.  
  
"Oh, Sirius, you __are adorable!" Lily cooed, smiling up at him. "I like you better as a dog, no offense."  
  
Sirius snorted. "None taken!" he said sarcastically. Lily grinned at him, and he grinned back.  
  
Then, Giles the butler entered and told them to come downstairs for dinner. They followed him into the kitchen where everyone was clustered, minus Mr. Potter, around the counter eating pasta.  
  
The rest of the night was spent chatting happily about the trip, everyone pointedly not talking about Voldemort and trying to cheer Katharine up, who looked on edge.  
  
They counted down to midnight and then the adults shot confetti out of their wands, celebrating the beginning of 1977. Everyone Flooed home and Lily, promising Ella that she would unpack in the morning, well, rather, in a few hours, sank into her bed lovingly.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, Lily slept quite late and arose to a nearly empty house. She walked blearily into the kitchen, dressed in her dressing gown and pajamas, where Cookie was feverishly stirring something and trying to dry her streaming eyes. Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "What is it?" she whispered, afraid of the answer.  
  
"Oh, oh Lily!" Cookie sobbed, turning to her.  
  
"What happened?!" Lily asked, her eyes filling. "Tell me!"  
  
"It's James-"  
  
"What?!" Lily cried, grabbing onto the kitchen counter for support.  
  
"No, James's father! Harry – h-he's d-dead!"  
  
Lily felt as though a cement block had slammed into her. "No," she whispered, and then stood up quickly. "I have to go over there."  
  
"N-no, dear, Ella t-told me t-to keep you here," Cookie sobbed, handing Lily a handkerchief.  
  
"That's where she is then, right?" Lily said, exiting the kitchen, Cookie trailing behind her.  
  
"Yes, Lily, but Ella said-"  
  
"No, I don't care, I'm going. I love James, and he needs me. I'm going," she said shortly, climbing the stairs to her room.  
  
"Very well. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep you here," Cookie said, sighing and walking back into the kitchen.  
  
Lily hurriedly grabbed her Floo Powder and yelled, "The Potter's!" clearly. Seconds later she emerged from the grate. It looked like a terrible mess. People were running around, many of them crying; she saw many people she knew, but not the one she desperately wanted to find. She saw Katharine, who looked as if she was experiencing pain beyond words; and she spotted Gwen who was crying by herself.  
  
Lily made her way over to her best friend and Gwen saw her they wordlessly exchanged a long hug, and then she pointed upstairs. "Maybe he'll let you in," she croaked, gesturing to Sirius, who had Celeste in his arms, Remus, and Peter, who all looked helpless.  
  
"Has he isolated himself?" she asked as she hugged Sirius tightly. It unnerved her to see tears pouring down his face.  
  
"Yes," Gwen choked as Lily hugged fourteen year old Celeste, Remus, and finally Peter, before straitening and walking up the stairs.  
  
She turned right and stopped in front of the first door. She braced herself before turning the knob. It was locked. She knocked, and then distantly heard a, "Who is it?"  
  
"James, it's me, Lily."  
  
When she didn't hear footsteps, she turned to go, but the door opened before she could take a step. Lily entered cautiously, and then spotted James in the corner on the floor. She closed the door quietly and padded over to him. He looked up at her, his young face etched with grief, and her will to be strong for him burst. She sank to her knees next to him and flung her arms around his neck. James didn't respond to her embrace. Lily leaned back and looked at him. He was staring dully at the wall across from her.  
  
"James, I-" she began, but her voice faltered. She leaned against his chest. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to sit this out with you, and I don't care if you don't want me here. I don't care if you sit here for weeks. I'm going to sit right by you the whole time."  
  
It was a long time before he said anything. Then she heard him say, very quietly, "Thank you."  
  
She smiled slightly and looked at him. His warm brown eyes were trained on her. She suppressed a shudder and hugged him again. This time, his arms went around her tightly and she could feel him shaking with sobs. She began to cry as well, and they sat there for a long time, holding each other tightly, until Lily, exhausted from crying and the events of the day, fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily stirred and opened her eyes. She was in a strange room and it was getting to be dark outside. She sat up quickly, and went to the door and opened it. She was at the Potter's, but why...  
  
Then she remembered. Harry Potter was dead, and she had fallen asleep in his grieving son's arms. She walked down the stairs and into the living room. Ella, Mrs. Watson, Katharine, Gwen, and Celeste were sipping tea very morosely.  
  
Lily walked over to Katharine, who looked as though she had no more tears to cry, and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Lily, get some tea, dear," Mrs. Watson said, gesturing to the table. Lily made herself tea and sat in between Celeste and Gwen.  
  
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"A few hours," Celeste answered. "You were in my room, in case you're wondering."  
  
Lily nodded. "Where's James?"  
  
"Playing Quidditch with Remus and Sirius," Gwen answered, a hint of exasperation in her voice.  
  
"Oh. Will you direct me to the Quidditch pitch?" Lily asked, setting her tea down and standing.  
  
"Outside the back door and to the right," Katharine answered quietly.  
  
"Thank you," Lily said, following her directions. She was glad to feel the cool evening air on her face, and hugged her ski jacket closer. The Potter's lived in an all-wizarding neighborhood called Godric's Hollow, so their Quidditch pitch was not indoors. Instead, it opened into the night sky. She entered the stadium to see James and Sirius whizzing around with Remus as a spectator. She walked over to him. "Hi," she said quietly, sitting next to him.  
  
He started. "Hi. You're awake," he said just as quietly.  
  
"Yeah," she whispered, staring up at the whizzing blurs. "How is he?"  
  
"Well, I doubt he will be 'fine' for a while. He and Sirius are just venting for now," Remus answered, also watching.  
  
"Mhm," Lily agreed, wincing as the two boys shot towards the ground and then rose steeply upwards.  
  
Sirius spotted her and landed next to her. "Hi Lily," his normally very dark brown eyes were black, and had lost their sparkle. "How are they in there?" he gestured to the house behind him.  
  
"Drinking tea in the living room," Lily replied, tearing her eyes away from the speeding blur that was her boyfriend and looking at Sirius. "You?"  
  
"I'm – well," he struggled, and finally said, "better than he is."  
  
"Ah," Lily said, looking back a James. He turned in her direction and landed on the other side of her.  
  
He swallowed and looked up at the starry sky. "Lily, will you come with me for a ride?"  
  
"Of course," she responded immediately. She walked over and sat on the back of the broom, fastening her arms around his waist. He took of gently, and Lily immediately remembered how much she liked to fly. She shut her eyes, her lashes wet on her cheeks, and relished the sensation.  
  
"Where are we going?" she called a few moments later.  
  
"You'll see," he answered back.  
  
Soon, they were descending and landed on a rock that overlooked a lake. Lily stepped off of the broom and James leaned it against the rock behind them. "Oh James," she breathed. "This spot is gorgeous."  
  
He half smiled and sat down, pulling her into his lap. "Lily, I…Thank you."  
  
Lily's brows furrowed and she looked back at him curiously. "For what?"  
  
"For being with me. For not leaving me," he answered quietly, drinking in her appearance.  
  
She smiled slightly. "That's what I'm for. I would never leave you."  
  
"Please don't," he said, his voice raw with emotion.  
  
They sat in silence for a while, until James broke it. "Lily, I love you."  
  
"I love you too," she answered.  
  
"And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Don't interrupt me, or I won't get this out." James said, and Lily obediently closed her mouth. "I know that we will get married one day, because you are the only one for me. I'm not proposing, even though I have the ring – I want to save that for later. But Lily, when we're married and your pregnant with our child, if it's a boy, can we name him – can we name him Harry?" His voice broke at the end.  
  
Tears began making their way down Lily's cheeks. She kissed him softly, tasting the salt from his tears and hers. She pulled back and smiled tenderly. "Of course. His name will be Harry Potter. I promise."  
  
~*~*~*~*_

*sobs hysterically* Okay, review, please. *sniffles*


	13. Revelations

1 I'm SO sorry this took so long!*blushes* Please, don't hate me, I tried to make this a really good chapter. My favorite, in fact!  
  
As always, my beta's (Snowlily and Reine Dansante) are wonderful, and they both have GREAT stories (if Lily would ever add on to hers-lol, love ya Lils) so go read them and review. Love y'all tons!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Bella  
  


**The Story of Lily**

****

Chapter 13: Revelations

  
The six friends returned to Hogwarts with heavy hearts. The castle had shrunk to nearly half its size, due to nervous parents pulling their children out and therefore postponing their magical education. Even though most people knew that the only person Lord Voldemort was scared of was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster himself, that still did not stop them. Hayley, Mary Katherine's best friend, was one of the unfortunate students to be removed.  
  
Remus, Lily, and Gwen felt responsible for cheering up their friends. James was no longer the James Lily had known, he was now drawn back, he hardly smiled, and dark circles underlined his brown eyes.  
  
Sirius, the one to always be the first to joke and lighten situations was now the last. Lily hadn't heard him laugh or even look happy since Harry Potter's death. Lily understood his somberness well; Mr. Potter had been his godfather and adopted father since his own father died.  
  
Mary Katherine was not much better off than her friends. She was miserable, since Hayley's Muggle parents had shut their daughter completely off from the magical world and locked her owl up. Mary Katherine sent her owls secretly as much as she could, and sometimes the owl wouldn't return for weeks.  
  
Peter now, he was a different story. Lily and the others assumed that all the deaths had gotten to him, and he was hardly seen except for at meals and classes. When he did join the group, he was more nervous and jumpy than he had ever been.  
  
Lily and her friends had just gotten out of Potions class one dreary, snowy day and were back in Gryffindor tower when Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, burst through the portrait hole. It was quite unusual for their formidable Transfiguration teacher to be seen in the Tower for any occasion other than to tell them something important. Silence fell over the crowd almost instantly. Lily looked up from her History of Magic homework expectantly. 

"Students, as a treat to the school, we are scheduling a spare-of-the-moment," Professor McGonagall looked quite disapproving at this, "visit to Hogsmeade Village, and for the first and second years, ice cream sundaes will be provided in the Great Hall, as well as entertainment. That is all."  
  
She climbed rather awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and as soon as it shut behind her, the Gryffindors began chattering. 

"I think this will be good for everyone, don't you?" Lily asked with a slightly forced smile. Remus and Gwen nodded emphatically. The others just smiled weakly or grunted.  
  
Lily sighed. The next would be a long day.  
  
~*~*~*~* 

"Okay, where to first, mates?" Gwen asked cheerfully. 

"What about the Quidditch supply shop?" Remus asked with pretend excitement.  
  


"Remus," Mary Katherine sighed, "You don't like the Quidditch shop any more than I do. Want to go to the bookstore?"  
  
Remus truly smiled and took her hand rather hesitantly. She smiled and Lily's heart soared. She hadn't seen Mary Katherine truly smile in ages, it seemed. 

"Well boys, what about it?" Gwen asked Peter, James, and Sirius. "Are we up to look at brooms or not? I know I am!" 

"Sure," Sirius replied, and smiled with difficulty. Gwen looked truly touched by his efforts, and the two had one of their infamous eye conversations.  
  
Lily hooked arms with Peter and James. "Let's go then," she said cheerfully.  
  
Peter flinched at her touch and looked like, although his friends didn't see, he was going through a very fierce internal struggle. "I – I can't," he stuttered. Then he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I promised my mother I would look for some of those Biting Teacups she likes so much."  
  
Without waiting for a reply, he walked away and disappeared through the crowd.  
  
Lily watched him worriedly and then turned to James. She smiled and took his hand. "Guess it's just us, then."  
  
He looked down at her, his eyes roaming over her face. "Yeah," he said simply. 

"James, please, don't do this! Can't we just-just pretend things are normal?" Lily begged, a voice in the back of her head telling her how selfish that sounded. But Lily couldn't help it; it completely unnerved her when James, her rock, was so distant and uninterested.  
  
He sighed, and Lily saw the first signs of emotions in his usual feelings-free face. Her heart became warm, and she led him down an alley. "James, I'm sorry. That sounded really selfish – I'm really sorry. I shouldn't let my own wants bother you; you're hurting a lot worse than I am." She hung her head.  
  
James gently lifted her chin, his eyes shining. "It's all right, Lily. We'll be all right, don't worry. I just need some time." 

"I'm sorry, you can take all the time you want," Lily said, burying her face in his shirt. She abruptly lifted her head up to look at him. "It just bothers me to see you like this – so sad, and I feel so helpless! Tell me anything I can do to help you, anything, and I swear I'll do it."  
  
The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly, but then he got a serious expression on his face. James held Lily to him tightly. "Just don't stop loving me," he whispered into her dark red hair, "Just don't stop loving me, and I'll be fine."  
  


"Me too," she whispered back, tilting her head towards him.   
  
He kissed her as a response, her salty tears running down her cheeks and in his mouth and hers.  
  
~*~*~*~* 

"Lily, Sirius and I are going to get some ice-cream, okay?" Gwen said as she caught up to James and Lily as they exited the alley. She paused at the tear tracks on her best friend's face, but said nothing. They were a common sight on Lily's pale complexion. 

"Alright," Lily replied in barely more than a whisper, clinging to James as if he were her life force.  
  
Well, Gwen thought wryly as she looked at James, he practically is her life force. "See you later, maybe in the Three Broomsticks for a butter beer." Gwen said, nodding her head at the two of them as she grabbed Sirius' hand and led him through the streets filled with Hogwarts students.  
  
She shook her head. How lucky they were to have each other.  
  
~*~*~*~* 

"Oh, look, they re-stocked on grips!" Lily said with false eagerness as she dragged her boyfriend to a barrel with rubbery broom-grips. They were designed to slide on the handle for a better hold. 

"Yeah," James said, trying to look interested.  
  
Lily smiled thinly at him and was going to ask him how much he thought they were, when a loud crack interrupted her. The building began to shake, pieces of rock and other debris falling from the ceiling. James grabbed Lily's waist and pulled her down under a table. Screams were heard everywhere, panicked and anguished screams. The top of the table they were under was getting quite a beating. Lily jumped when a particularly large rock hit the top of it. She clutched James tightly, leaning her head against his heart that was beating five times its normal rate. He held her with the same amount of force.  
  
Finally, the shaking stopped, and silence reigned, until someone with a high, chilling voice screamed, "_Avada__ Kedavra!" And other voices copied him, shouting spells._

"Lily," James said, bringing her face up to look at him. "Whatever you do, don't go out from under this table. Do you understand?"  
  
Lily became panicked. "James, where are you going?!" she cried as he gently untangled her arms from around him. 

"Lily, I have to fight. I've been taking sort of junior, I suppose you could say, Auror lessons, and the first thing I learned is not to stand by when help is needed. Please, promise me you won't leave. They know about you, about your powers; please." His voice was strained.  
  
Lily opened her powers up and saw through them. He wasn't lying to keep her safe; they did know about her. She felt faint, and did not protest when he jumped out from under the table. He began firing spells, and seemed to stay near to her.  
  
Well, she thought, after moments in antagonizing suspense, if he is right there, it wouldn't hurt to peak out. She lifted the fringe of the tablecloth enough to see out. The whole store was devastated, and bodies were everywhere. The people who weren't unconscious or – Lily gulped – worse were fighting the men in black robes, all of whom were wearing some sort of a mask. She shuddered; they were who were known as Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's helpers.  
  
Suddenly, someone cried out and Lily felt the table being lifted from above her. She almost curled up, but ignored that urge and stood up defiantly. She would fight, right next to James, even if it killed her. She wouldn't hide. 

"Master! Master, is that her?!" one of the Death Eaters cried, pointing excitedly at Lily. 

"Very good," a voice praised – the same one who had yelled _Avada__ Kedavra just minutes ago, starting the fight.  
  
It was the most inhuman thing Lily had ever heard. The voice was male, and it seemed to be made of ice. She felt goosbumps raise on her arms as a very tall person clothed in black as well, yet radiating power, came into view. He was, however, not wearing a mask, and his face was the ugliest thing she had ever seen. It was deathly pale and a white line for lips, and the part of his face that disturbed Lily the most was that his eyes were slits with dots of red for pupils. "_

"Well, Miss Evans, we meet at last," he said, walking towards her.  
  
James suddenly stepped in front of her, his eyes radiating fury. "Don't touch her," he said in a deathly calm voice. 

"Potter," the man whom could only be Lord Voldemort spat. "I see. You want to die just like your father – am I correct? Standing upright and proud, defending his men? Or in this case, his love?"  
  
James clenched his jaw but remained silent.  
  
Taking control of this distraction, while Voldemort began to describe exactly how Harry Potter died, Lily discreetly pulled her wand and held it ready. "James," she whispered so only he could hear, standing in front of her, "keep him going, I have an idea."  
  
James slightly inclined his head to show he understood. Lily turned her wand around so the tip was pointing between her elbow and side, meanwhile thanking whomever was up there watching over her that she was wearing dark clothes.  
  
Lily gathered her magic, feeling very bad that she hadn't researched her other powers. She was praying that somehow she could make this work. She closed her eyes and looked at the blue cloud that was her magic. She ordered it to come out her wand, and she commanded, "_Expelliarmus!" firmly in her head.  
  
A blue jet shot out of her wand, and she knew she had been successful. There was a great bang. Lily turned around in surprise and saw that the spell had taken out all the men behind her and the wall that was behind them.  
  
Voldemort stopped talking and surveyed the damage without blinking an eye. "Very good, Miss Evans," he said, his voice dripping with approval and interest. "Wouldn't you like to do that again?"  
  
Lily stared at him. She had just knocked out a third of his men and he was asking her to do it __again? "Excuse me?" she said with surprise. _

"I asked if you would like to do that again, Lily. If you came with me, perhaps we could make that blow even more powerful," he said, advancing on her.  
  
Lily backed up so she was against a cabinet. "No, I really don't want to, thanks," she said, trying to buy James time so he could escape. But instead, he was watching her closely. 

"But why?" Voldemort asked silkily, fingering his wand with very white and very long fingers. "We are not that bad, are we, my servants?"  
  
They all muttered in assent. He laughed shortly. Except, it wasn't like any laugh she had ever heard before; it was more evil sounding than anything. 

"Come, Lily. I will make your dreams come true, and I only ask that you help me a bit in return," Voldemort said, reaching out a hand.  
  
Lily looked at it in repulsion. "What, to help you murder people?" she said, looking at him in disgust.  
  
Voldemort once again laughed his awful laugh. "My dear, whatever put that thought in your head?" 

"Because that's what you do!" Lily exclaimed, shaking with fear. She had the distinct impression that he was toying with her. 

"Lily, Lily, Lily," he said, shaking his head. "Come with me, and I will show you that you are indeed wrong." 

"No," she refused again, trying to see James around Voldemort's thin body. 

"Ah, Mr. Potter." Voldemort said, turning to look at James, then back to Lily. "My dear, I hoped it wouldn't come to this," he sighed with mock-\sadness to her. He snapped his fingers, his demeanor turning abruptly cold.  
  
Lily screamed; James had been surrounded and was being held at wand point. The Death Eaters had formed a sort of circle around them, Voldemort in the middle between Lily and James. 

"Now, Miss Evans," Voldemort said, turning back to Lily, a smile of cruel amusement on his face. "I have had enough with appealing to you. I should have brought the Staff of Metrusia, but it needs to be rested. I will be using it plenty when we get back, you see. Lily, let's get down to business, shall we?" He chuckled, but the "smile" was soon wiped from his face. "Join me, or Potter junior will be seeing his daddy shortly!" he spat at Lily, as if daring her to refuse.  
  
Lily turned ghastly white. She didn't care what happened to her, but James wouldn't die. She wouldn't get him killed just because of her. No way, no how. She straitened, her face still pale, but set. "Lord Voldemort," she said clearly. "Let James go, and I will go with you."  
  
Voldemort smiled cruelly. "I had hoped you would see it my way. As I have said before, good people are so very easy to predict." 

"Lily, no! I don't matter, it's you! Let them kill me! Let them!" James cried, struggling violently against the Death Eater holding him. 

"James, I won't let you die because of me," Lily said, holding her head up high. "Let James go, Voldemort." 

"Tom Riddle!" someone roared from behind him. Lily could see quite clearly that Voldemort paled, even though she hadn't thought it was possible. Lily recognized the voice; she looked around and saw her old Professor, Dumbledore, standing with an army of teachers and other adult witches and wizards. 

"Dumbledore," Voldemort hissed, regaining his composure and turning around. "Is this it, old man? Do you wish to die now?" 

"No one will be dying today, Tom." Dumbledore said sternly.  
  
Lily was suddenly afraid of her headmaster now. He radiated fury, and Lily understood now how Voldemort was scared of him. 

"Oh yes, someone will," Voldemort said, drawing his wand. "Tie the girl." He commanded to a Death Eater behind Lily. Lily immediately felt her hands tied, her wand at her feet. 

"Guess this is the end, hmm, Evans?" a cold voice whispered in her ear. She remembered that voice; it belonged to Lucius Malfoy. 

"You!" she hissed. 

"Me," he said, chuckling. "Guess you should have given in to me on that first day in the train?"  
  
Lily was about to say something back, when her head was jerked up. She was looking right at the bad end of Lord Voldemort's wand. "Dumbledore," he said, not taking his eyes off Lily. "You do one thing wrong, and I'll blast the Adviser into dust." 

"Tom-" Dumbledore began sternly, before Voldemort cut him off and began the curse that would end Lily's young life. 

"_Avada__ Kedavra!"  
  
Lily squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the curse to hit her, and knowing it was the end. She stood there, all her muscles tense, and when she felt nothing hit her, she opened her eyes a crack. Was she alive? She certainly felt like it. She could feel her heart pumping blood, her breath was quick and shallow; she opened her eyes all the way and looked in astonishment at the floor, where Lord Voldemort was sprawled, glaring at someone across the floor – James. _

"You'll pay for this, boy," Voldemort hissed to James. He Disapparated, his Death Eaters right behind him.  
  
Immediately, Professor McGonagall was standing in front of her, and to Lily's immense surprise, her Transfiguration teacher was crying. "Lily," she began, but sobs had taken her over and she had to be led away by Professor Flitwick.  
  
Lily fought her way through the crying crowd that had filtered in and threw herself at James. 

"James," she cried. "I love you, I love you!" she whispered, squeezing him as tight as humanly possible. 

"Lily," he breathed. "Lily, don't you ever do that to me again. Ever, ever. I'm dying before you. You're going to bury _me, that's the way it will go. That's the only way it will go, and if somehow it works out that doesn't happen..." he choked, and let her pull back. He then took her face that was soaked with tears. "I love you," he said, and kissed her.  
  
They broke the kiss when air became a necessity, and their perfect world of having each other broke. Then panic settled in. "James, we need to find Gwen and Sirius! And Peter and Remus and Mary Katherine!" she cried, looking around wildly. They ran out onto the street and Lily cried out. Hogsmeade was a smoldering ruin. Bodies lay everywhere in the street, and people were racing around, white faced and tearful. Lily's heart jolted; what if one of those bodies belonged to Gwen or Sirius?  
  
She felt a force hit her from behind and she almost threw whomever it was off until she saw the familiar flash of long black hair. _

"Gwen!" she cried, turning around so she could hug her best friend. They held each other for a long time, neither wanting to let go. "Gwen, I was so afraid," Lily whispered into Gwen's hair. "Afraid that one of those bodies was yours…" 

"You were afraid?" Gwen whispered back. "You were in there doing God knows what with – with _him! Oh Lily," she began crying, and Lily leaned back, looking Gwen in the face. _

"But I'm alright," she reminded her gently, "and so are you. Where's Sirius?" 

"Lily," a deep male voice said from behind her. She turned and hugged him tightly as James and Gwen held each other as well. "I'm never, ever letting you out of my sight again," he vowed. "Never ever."  
  
Lily smiled with her lips closed and drew back. "I love you, Sirius." 

"I love you too, Lily," he said, quite solemn. 

Lily drew back, wiping her eyes. "We need to find Mary Katherine and Remus-" 

"James! Lily! Gwen! Sirius!"  
  
All four of their heads turned and they saw Mary Katherine and Remus both fighting through the crowds. Lily gasped as they came into view. They were covered in black soot and many cuts and bruises adorned their skin.  
  
Mary Katherine leaned over and began having a coughing fit while Remus collapsed next to her. Immediately the four friends surrounded them, giving hugs, shedding tears, and thanking their lucky stars.  
  
Sirius stood up suddenly. "We need to find Pete! I thought he was with you!" he said, rounding on Lily.  
  
She shook her head. "He went to Zonko's. Who knows how hard it was hit. Look, we can go see if he's there-"  
  
Lily stopped when she felt a pressure on her shoulder, and turned to meet to grave blue eyes of Headmaster Dumbledore. 

"It is good to see that you are all right," he said, looking at each person in turn. "Please, James, Lily, if your friends could go look for Mr. Pettigrew, I might have a word with you?"  
  
Lily nodded, her throat blocked, her eyes stinging from the smoke and the fresh memories. James slipped his arm around her waist, while Mary Katherine, Remus, Gwen, and Sirius left to find the missing Marauder. 

"I know that you have no doubt been through a horrific event, and I will not ask for details, at least not now. But, can either of you tell me," he said sternly, fixing them both with his piercing gaze, "how Lord Voldemort was pushed to the floor, effectively saving Lily's life?"  
  
Lily looked down. She had wondered…She didn't see anyone come up from behind and knock him down… 

"I think it was me, sir," James said quietly. 

"But James, you were tied up on the other side of the circle!" Lily exclaimed, looking at him in astonishment.  
  
Dumbledore looked at James, his face clear of emotion. "As I thought. I will contact you after the teachers and I have made a thorough search of the grounds, perhaps tomorrow. I will have Hagrid escort you to the castle, where Madame Pomfrey can tend to you," he said, beckoning Hagrid to him. 

"But, Professor, sir, can't we go and look for our friends?" Lily asked, but in spite of her self, she felt her eyes drooping. 

"No," Dumbledore said firmly. "No, it is unsafe to be here, probably the most so for you both." He turned to the giant of a man standing behind him. "Hagrid, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Evans and Mr. Potter to the castle? You have permission to use your umbrella for anything, and then might you come down here when they have been dispatched?" 

"O' course, Dumbledore, sir," Hagrid said, blowing his large nose loudly. "Yeh can count on me, sir, and I'll be down here quick." 

"Thank you, Hagrid, and do be careful. Lily, James, please rest, and I will see to it that your friends are told of your whereabouts." Dumbledore said, nodding to the three of them.  
  
Lily's eyes began to droop. "James, I don't…I don't think I can stay awake for much…long-longer," she yawned.  
  
James lifted her easily and Lily snuggled to his chest and allowed herself to fall asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily awoke to darkness, and she was quite disorientated for a minute, before she realized she was in her own bed in Gryffindor Tower. She sat up, a bit dazed, and then quickly the memories from the day came back to her. She sighed and put her face in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut so maybe they would go away.  
  
James…Her head snapped up. He had saved her! She quickly reached through the hangings for her wand and found it on the bedside table. Lily whispered "_Lumos!" very softly, and her wand gave of a dim glow, only enough so she could se her way.  
  
Lily crept out of bed and tied her dressing gown on quickly, ignoring her feet that were slowly changing into blocks of ice because of the cold stone floor. She walked down the winding tower and came out into the dark Gryffindor Common room. The fire was very tempting, but she had greater things on her mind. Lily began walking up the boy's stairs and quickly came upon the door that read "Gryffindor 7th Years" on it.  
  
She eased the door open and shut it quietly behind her. She knew which bed James' was; it was near the window next to Sirius' bed. As Lily walked passed Sirius' un-drawn hangings, she thought she could make out two lumps instead of one, and she smiled.  
  
Lily quietly eased the hangings open. James stirred, then opened his eyes and spotted her. He quickly put his glasses on and sat up. _

"Lils?" he questioned.  
  
Lily nodded, her eyes filling. James immediately stood and held her tightly. She sniffled quietly, and he stroked her hair, whispering comforting words in her ear. When she calmed down, he pulled her into his warm bed. She went to sleep much happier in his arms. It felt so…right.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily stared anxiously at her headmaster. Dumbledore was rising in his seat, about to tell his students how many of their number had been lost. She looked to James and he squeezed her hand reassuringly and turned to Dumbledore himself. 

"Students," Dumbledore began, looking at them all gravely. "Yesterday was indeed a terrible day for each of you. Maybe some more than others." Here he glanced at the Slytherin table, where Severus Snape was smirking and looking quite pleased. "The bookstore was set in flames, the Quidditch supply shop was demolished, and many other buildings suffered other various damages. As a result of the attack, sixteen Hogwarts students are now dead." Here he paused as he waited for the gasps to settle down. Lily looked down the table at a group of fourth year Gryffindors whom were mourning the loss of one of their friends; Celeste Black was one of them. Lily looked at the little girl who was not little anymore, who had seen so many tragedies already - the death of her mother, her father, and stepmother in the course of eleven years, and recently her guardian and Godfather.  
  
Dumbledore then read off the names of the sixteen students killed, and the Great Hall submerged in a dead sort of silence. Lily bit her lip and stared at her plate, tears welling up in her eyes as she couldn't help thinking that the attack was her fault. If only she hadn't decided to go to Hogsmeade, maybe those sixteen, innocent students would still be alive…  
  
No, she berated herself. She wouldn't take another guilt trip…she wouldn't do it. She had friends to reassure her, tell her that it wasn't her fault…  
  
The tears spilled over in tidal waves. Lily buried her face in her napkin, willing herself to stop crying, but it was useless. Even when Gwen and James hugged her, the flow didn't stop. If anything, she began to cry harder.  
  
Lily was dimly aware that the student's had been dismissed from dinner because of the sudden trampling of feet and murmur of voices. Then all was silent. 

"Lily," a voice said gently from behind her. Lily knew it belonged to Dumbledore, so she turned her tear-stained face towards his kind expression. "Would you and James care to come to my office for a spot of tea?"  
  
Lily nodded and stood. She received his underlying message and realized that now was the time to tell him of yesterday's events. James stood with her, his arm around her shoulders comfortingly. They walked out of the Great Hall and Lily, her eyes blurred by tears, trusted James to keep her from walking into something.  
  
The three stopped in front of a stone gargoyle. Dumbledore said, 

"Pumpkin Pasty!" clearly to the statue, and it came to life and leapt aside, revealing a doorway that led to a staircase that was moving upwards. Lily got onto the stairs and rode up, taking the time to wipe her eyes, smooth down her clothes, and give herself a mini pep talk.  
  
They arrived at a landing and Lily, following James and Dumbledore's examples, stepped off quickly and entered a great oak door into a large, round office. Lily realized that it was Dumbledore's, and must be where he lived. 

"Please," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the chairs as he took his seat behind his great oak desk, "have a seat."  
  
Lily sat with James on her right and stared at Dumbledore.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Well, I see no need in delaying this any longer. I have an idea of what happened, but as I said, it is an idea. If you would care to tell the story from both point of views, I would be much obliged."  
  
James sat up and took a breath. "Well, sir, it started when we were in the Quidditch supply shop. There was a great bang, and the building began to shake. Lily and I dove under a table, and the ceiling began to fall in. When it became apparent that the danger of being hit by something was over, I got out from under the table to help fight the Death Eaters." He glanced at Lily, and then turned back to his headmaster. "I dueled with some, and then, one of them yelled and lifted the table that Lily was hiding under. Then he – Voldemort, that is – came forward and I stepped in front of Lily. Then she did something – _Expelliarmus, I think it was, except it was a lot more powerful than normal. Then he had me tied up, and he kept asking Lily to join him, to become a Death Eater. When she kept refusing, he threatened her with my life." He glared at her here, and she said that she would join him if they let me go. Then you came, sir, and you know the rest." James looked down at his hands. _

"No, James, I'm afraid I don't," Dumbledore said gently. "Would you care to explain to me how you think you sent Voldemort to the ground?"  
  
James swallowed. "Sir, I put forth all my feelings for Lily and wished with all my might that he would fall down. And then, I felt like something had been shot from my hand, except I couldn't see anything, and the next thing I knew, Voldemort was on the floor."  
  
Dumbledore nodded slowly, diverting his gaze to his desk. "Well, my theory is you have just used what is called a Life Appeal. Now, that is a common gift, and it only comes around once in life. Every magical person is believed to have it, and even some Muggles. A Life Appeal is when someone you care very deeply about is in danger of being killed, and basically what you are doing is negotiating with death. You place forward all of your love and memories of the person and it saves their life somehow. With magical people, it is a magical force, but with Muggles, usually something natural will happen to save someone." He pierced them with his blue gaze. "Remember, you have to have loved the person you saved more than life itself. That is saying something, Mr. Potter."  
  
James blushed slightly and Lily smiled at him gently. 

"Now, Miss Evans, would you care to explain to me how you managed to do that tremendous Disarming Spell?" Dumbledore asked, turning to Lily. 

"Well," Lily began thoughtfully, "I think what I did was go inside myself, look at my magic, and commanded it to go out the end of my wand. Then I said, _Expelliarmus and it came out and blasted a hole in the wall." _

"The unconscious Death Eaters you caught were ones Lily had knocked out," James added proudly.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, looking perplexed. "I do not know if Violet ever discovered that ability…This actually brings me to what I wished to discuss with you, Lily." He fixed her with his light blue eyes. "Think back, Lily. Do you remember after I came to see you, before your third year? How Violet suddenly spent a lot of time in her lab in your basement?"  
  
Lily closed her eyes, feeling tears prick at them. She remembered one time quite clearly:  
  
_Twelve-year-old Lily walked down the creaky stairs into her basement. She walked around a corner and into her aunt's workspace. Violet was leaning over something intently, her blond hair pulled away from her face and a white coat on, making her look quite professional. _

_"Aunt Violet?" Lily asked timidly.  
  
Violet's head shot up, and when she saw her niece, she smiled wearily. "Hello, Lily, dear." Her voice was limp and tired. Violet immediately looked back down at whatever it was and began scribbling with a Muggle pencil.  
  
Lily cautiously approached, not wanting to disturb her, but curious as to what was consuming most of her aunt's day recently. "Aunt Violet, I don't mean to be – erm,  well-rude or anything, but could you maybe tell me what your doing?"  
  
Violet looked up again, her eyes sad. "I suppose I should, as you have been…blessed…with the same thing I have." She removed her reading glasses and rubbed her forehead. She gestured to a stool and Lily sat down in it with excitement, glad for her aunt's attention. _

_"Lily…you do remember the Staff of Metrusia? How it controls us Advisers?"  
  
Lily nodded, of course she did. Dumbledore's visit was still fresh in her mind. "He is believed to have the Staff of Metrusia", Dumbledore had said… _

_"Well, I am working on a potion that I hope will free Advisers from its power for a time…I am not certain how long."  
  
Lily's eyes became large. "Wow, that's really important!"  
  
Violet smiled, her eyes lighting up in amusement, if briefly. "I know, it is. Now come here, darling, and tell me about your day…"  
  
Lily opened her eyes and sniffled a bit. "Yes," she answered Dumbledore, pulling herself with an effort back to the present. _

"And how the Staff didn't work on your aunt when Lord Voldemort came?" Dumbledore prompted gently. 

"Yes," Lily said, her voice wobbling. 

"That means the potion she made was successful. But, we haven't been able to find her papers…" Dumbledore massaged his temples. "We have not had the time to search the Wellington House, your current residence, thoroughly. Lily, for your own safety, we must find those papers…we must. I don't know if you have considered this, but do you know what you wish to become once you've graduated from Hogwarts?"  
  
Lily blinked. "Er," she said, trying to conceal her true feelings. In reality, she hadn't even considered… "Well, sir," she answered finally, "I suppose I will take anything I can get, just as long as I'm helping in the fight against Voldemort."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled a bit. "My dear, I doubt you will have trouble finding a job; a position in the Ministry is a definite…However, the Minister will require your assistance frequently, whether you take a job in the Ministry or not."  
  
Lily nodded. She looked over at James, who was staring at her as if contemplating something. She knitted her brows together and he snapped out of his trance. 

"Well, Lily, James," Dumbledore said, standing, "you have been most informative. I hope I have cleared up some things, as you have done for me." Lily and James stood as well. "Lily, I suggest we begin searching as soon as possible. You won't be going back home until the summer, so perhaps your friends can help you. It will not be easy, as I have checked the more obvious places." He sighed. "Please, you may go." He smiled thinly and opened the door for them. Lily and James got onto the staircase together, Lily's head on his shoulder. She had a lot to think about.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Review, PLEASE, my darlings!  
  
Bells


	14. Graduation

Yay! I finally finished The Power of Love! Now I get to concentrate totally on this story! Well actually, I have had an inspiration to write a Tamora Pierce fic, so I might do that…feelings, please? Anyway, I hope you like this. :) Thanks to my wonderful beta's- Choco and Miss Nutbag, I love y'all tons!  
  
Oh, and btw, it's all LILY'S fault that this is so late. So blame her, not me *points to Lily* no, I'm jp, she just sort of forgot. But I love ya still, Lils!  
  
Bella  
  
The Story of Lily  
  
1 Chapter 14: Graduation  
  
Mary Katherine rolled onto her back and moaned. "It's not fair!" she cried, rolling back onto her stomach and staring at her two friends from Gwen's bed. "Your robes are so pretty!"  
  
Lily smiled over her shoulder. "Mary Katherine, yours are too." She turned back to the mirror to study her reflection again. The robes fit as well as they had on Christmas day. Granted, the rest of her body didn't match the stunning robes, what with her wet hair and no-makeup face, but that would all change in the next hour. It was already eight o' clock, and the seventh year Gryffindors, along with the other seventh years in the school, would be meeting in the room off the Great Hall at nine fifteen. The Graduation ceremonies would start at nine thirty. The room that they would be meeting in was the same one they had waited nervously in seven whole years ago before they were sorted.  
  
"Yeah," Gwen agreed, turning sideways to look at herself in a different prospective, "we wouldn't have let you pick ugly robes out, right Lily?"  
  
Lily nodded and walked to Mary Katherine's closet, passing the empty bed that had once belonged to Hayley. Her heart wrenched, and she almost began crying again. The three girls had stayed up late the last night, wrapped securely in their scarlet comforters on the floor in front of Lily's bed, talking and remembering every important detail from the past seven years. They had all cried over Hayley, comforted Lily on her nervousness at giving her Head Girl speech, and talked about their future. Mary Katherine had been filled in on everything about Lily's life. It wasn't because Lily felt sorry for her losing her best friend, it was because she considered Mary Katherine as much of a friend as Gwen, even though she knew she and Mary Katherine would never share the bond that existed only between two best friends. Mary Katherine had shared it with Hayley, just as Lily shared it with Gwen.  
  
The girls then decided to go pay a visit to the boys to cheer themselves up. All seven had stayed up to a very un-Godly hour, finally going to bed when Mary Katherine began snoring on Remus's shoulder.  
  
Lily opened Mary Katherine's closet and pulled out her white dress robes. They were very much similar to her own, but with a v-neck and tight sleeves. She hung it on the bedpost next to Mary Katherine's ear. "Get up, M.K., and put them on. I'll do your hair, okay?"  
  
Mary Katherine sighed and got up. "No," she said firmly. "I'm in charge of hair, Lily, but it was nice of you to offer."  
  
Gwen snorted. "I wouldn't let Lily near me with a hairbrush if my life depended on it," she muttered, but not quietly enough.  
  
Mary Katherine snorted and went into the bathroom to change. Lily made an offended noise. "It's not like your gifted with hair either, O Flawless One," she said sarcastically.  
  
Gwen grinned. "True."  
  
Lily smiled and looked at her friend. "Has it really been seven years?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I was just wondering the same thing," Gwen said, shaking her head and looking down. When she raised her face, her eyes were unnaturally bright. "Oh Lily."  
  
They hugged tightly, both lost in memories. Mary Katherine joined in on the hug, and when they pulled back, all three were sniffling. "We have to promise to be best friends forever, and to always help each other if the other is in need." Mary Katherine said solemnly, hugging them around the waists.  
  
"Promise," Gwen whispered.  
  
"I promise," Mary Katherine said firmly.  
  
"I promise too," Lily said.  
  
Lily glanced at the clock that hung above the dresser. "Oh my God! It's eight thirty!"  
  
They sprang apart, each to dry their hair magically with their wands. In her hurry, Lily said the words too anxiously and her hair was a tousled mess. "At least it's dry," Gwen remarked optimistically as she and Mary Katherine stared at the red bush on Lily's head.  
  
Mary Katherine moaned and set to work flipping through the pages of her Hair Handbook for Witches.  
  
Thirty minutes later, all was right in the dormitory, and all three girls looked stunning. Mary Katherine's thick, corkscrew curls were up in an elegant twist with pieces hanging artfully around her face. Her eyelids were shimmering with silver and her lips were rosy red. The silver was to match the diamond choker around her neck. Gwen's thick, shiny black hair was done halfway up in a barrette with a stone that matched her sapphire- colored eyes and curled gently at the tips. Her eyelids shone with blue eye shadow, and black eyeliner made the blueness of her eyes more accented. She had a white gloss on her lips and around her neck hung the silver necklace adorned with sapphires. Lily's red hair that had been getting straighter and straighter as she grew older was now in gentle waves to her lower back. Her eyelids were painted with a light shimmer tinted green, also with dark eyeliner to bring out the bright green of her eyes, that matched the emeralds on her own necklace. Lily touched the silver necklace tenderly, a pain shooting through her heart at the thought of the person who gave it to her. Her eyes welled with tears, so she took a deep breath and told herself to look ahead. She glanced at the clock. "It's ten after, girls. We should go."  
  
Gwen smiled. "We told the boys we'd meet the ten minutes ago. We shouldn't keep them waiting any more."  
  
Lily giggled. "Yeah, let's go." She linked arms with Mary Katherine and Gwen and they climbed down the stairs, chatting happily. They opened the door wide and stepped out. The common room was packed with younger Hogwarts student's who weren't attending the ceremonies; instead, they were packing to leave at eleven for Hogsmeade Station.  
  
Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James were slumped down in chairs wearing black robes and looking quite bored. They also were not facing their female counterparts. Gwen sneaked up behind Sirius and put her hands in front of his eyes. He yelped and sat up. "Guess who?" Gwen said evilly.  
  
"Hmm…it couldn't be Gwen, could it?" Sirius said sarcastically.  
  
"Right in one!"  
  
The boys stood and turned. Their jaws dropped simultaneously.  
  
"You-you look…" Remus stuttered.  
  
"Um-" James croaked.  
  
"Wow…" Sirius stated.  
  
"That about sums it up." Peter said, not embarrassed in the least.  
  
This jerked his friends out of their stupor and they stared at him. "Well it does!" he said, smiling.  
  
Sirius grinned and nodded, moving around the couch and taking Gwen's hand. James moved silently around to Lily and hugged her. She smiled. "Mm, you smell good," she said dreamily.  
  
"What?" he laughed, pulling back.  
  
Lily reddened and cleared her throat. "We have about five minutes to get there. I hope you practiced your speech again, James," she said sternly.  
  
He smiled and placed his hand on her lower back. "Yes, Lily. Let's go." He ushered her out of the portrait hole, Gwen and Sirius behind them, followed by Peter, with Mary Katherine and Remus bringing up the rear. They walked silently through the halls, down the grand marble staircase, and onto the flagged stone floor. They walked to a chamber off the entrance hall. Standing at the open doorway was Professor McGonagall, looking quite displeased. "Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, I would have expected better from the Head Boy and Girl. The ceremonies start in ten minutes!"  
  
"Sorry, Professor," Lily said, pulling her boyfriend by his robes, praying that he wouldn't say anything to her.  
  
He didn't, but Sirius waved cheerfully to her. "Lovely to see you, Minnie."  
  
Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together. Lily hid a smile with her hand and bit her lip to keep from laughing, while Gwen was giggling silently.  
  
"Black, what is the meaning of such disrespect?" she asked sternly.  
  
Sirius grinned and in that moment, Lily didn't care what his motives were, just as long as he kept smiling. "Well, Minnie, I'm not a student anymore, so I figured I don't have to call you 'professor' anymore either," he said innocently.  
  
"Black! You haven't graduated yet!" Professor McGonagall snapped, herding them in and standing in the doorway. "Students! In a moment, the graduation ceremony will take place. Please, let's have the Head Boy and Girl in the front. Now do be quiet, and tidy yourselves up a bit. I will be back for you in a moment." She exited the room and slammed the door.  
  
Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter were standing together, whispering. Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to know."  
  
Mary Katherine shook her head in agreement. "Neither do I!"  
  
Someone less welcome marched up just then, surrounded by his Slytherin cronies. "Well, if it isn't my favorite Gryffindors," Severus Snape oozed, his hair as slimy as usual. He looked exactly like he had when Lily had first met him-same sallow skin, hooked nose, and dark, piercing eyes. All four of the Marauder's heads shot up. Sirius glared at him with immense hatred. Lily was shocked-she had never seen him look that mean before. Gwen sighed and took him by the arm, talking to him quietly and leading him into the crowd.  
  
"Snape," James hissed, nodding his head.  
  
Snape looked at all that were assembled in turn, his gaze finally resting on Lily. He smirked and walked up to her. "Well, well. If it isn't the Adviser."  
  
One of the boys next to him elbowed him in the stomach and whispered something in his ear. Snape's eyes widened. He turned to her. "Hello, Lily," he said in a very nice tone, but it was forced-sounding.  
  
Lily raised her eyebrows. "Erm-hello, Severus."  
  
"And how are you?"  
  
Lily's jaw dropped. "I'm-I'm fine, and you?"  
  
"Great-listen, Lily, could I have a word?" he asked, holding his hand out.  
  
Lily turned from shocked to suspicious. But before she could answer, James stepped in. "Snape, go away, I can see right through your charade."  
  
"Whatever are you talking about, James?" Severus, who came to James' shoulder, said innocently.  
  
"You just want to get her on your good side so you can take her to your master." James hissed.  
  
Lily sucked her breath in. Of course! Everyone knew that he knew more Dark magic than most grown wizards did, and there was a rumor that he was practically Voldemort's second in command.  
  
Snape scowled and turned to Lily. "You'll regret your decision to be with them," he hissed, gesturing to Lily's friends before turning on his heel and sauntering back into the crowd.  
  
Sirius and Gwen returned, Sirius practically smoking. "Did he hurt you, Lily?"  
  
"No," Lily said, feeling dizzy.  
  
James held her tight. "He was trying to win her over," he told Sirius in a tight voice.  
  
Sirius clenched his fists. "I'll get him one day." Gwen began whispering to him again, assumedly calming him down.  
  
Lily turned and looked at James. "Okay, explain. What happened to make Sirius hate Snape even more than he did before?"  
  
James sighed and rubbed his forehead. "To make a long story short, Snape was being a nosy ass and sneaking around, trying to find out where Remus went every month. We…well, Sirius and I, thought that it would be…amusing to tell Snape the way to the Shrieking Shack."  
  
Lily gasped. "James! You didn't!"  
  
He held up a hand. "Wait. I didn't think he would actually go…but Sirius dragged me down the next full moon to see if he believed us. And sure enough, he came. I jumped out and stopped him in the tunnel, right as he opened the door. He glimpsed Remus, and told Dumbledore. Dumbledore forbade him to tell anyone, and he hasn't…so. That's why."  
  
"James-you saved his life! Were you transformed?" Lily asked anxiously, keeping her voice low.  
  
"No, otherwise we would have probably been expelled. Being an unregistered Animagi is illegal." James said, shaking his head.  
  
Lily opened her mouth, but the door swung open and Professor McGonagall beckoned. She got in line behind James and followed him out, shaking with anxiety. Gwen was right behind her, and gave her a tight smile when she turned. Lily smiled nervously back and walked into the Great Hall. Sunlight flooded through the ceiling that was charmed to mirror the sky outside. The four house tables were pushed against the walls, leaving a space that seated the family members and friends of the graduates. A temporary stage had been made, and they were walking straight to it. Dumbledore was beaming in the middle of it in front of a wooden podium. Risers were lined up behind him. Professor McGonagall climbed the stairs and stood next to Dumbledore, while James filed into the first row with Lily in toe. Once all of the student's were on the risers, smiling and waving at familiar faces in the crowd, Dumbledore cleared his throat. The crowd hushed immediately.  
  
"Thank you all for coming today," he began lightly. "I must say, this is quite a satisfactory class, and I will be sorry to see all of them leaving. But, graduates, may life be good to you, and I trust that you will carry all that you have learned in these halls with you for the rest of your days. Thank you, and now I will turn the podium over to Miss Lily Evans, our Head Girl for this year. Miss Evans?"  
  
Lily turned to James and smiled nervously. She was determined to get over her fear of being the center of attention. It didn't mean that she had to like it, but just as long as she wasn't terrified of it anymore, she would be content. James squeezed her hand quickly before she stepped carefully off the riser and walked to the podium. She cleared her throat and looked out over the crowds. Ella gave a tiny wave. Lily swallowed and began, her voice more confident than she actually felt:  
  
"Fellow graduates and alumni of Hogwarts, we have all gone through many trials. Everyone has failed some of these trials, whether it had been not flying your first time at our first flying lesson in first year or forgetting to turn in a homework assignment. But, just when you think you have failed too many times, my advice to you is this: remember your triumphs. Triumph is the opposite of failing, and everyone has triumphed, just as everyone has failed. Triumph is winning the Quidditch cup or making a good mark on your Transfiguration exam. They balance each other. But, very easily can that balance be overthrown. So remember to keep that balance: keep triumphing and keep failing. It will keep you down to earth and keep you intact. Thank you, and I will miss you all."  
  
Lily smiled as she stepped away from the podium; that had gone better than she had expected. She heard the applause still as she stepped up next to James. He grinned at her and walked to the podium himself as Lily's friends congratulated her.  
  
"Well," he said, placing his hands on the sides of the podium and smiling at the crowd. "We did it. There were a lot of times when I didn't think that I could make it (I was surely going to fail Charms), but, in the end, we all did. You know, if these walls could talk, I'm sure it would take them years to get all of their stories out. They know about our fears of fitting in from first year. Our smugness in second year, when we returned back to school thinking we knew everything about it. Our concerns in third year, when playing with a girl suddenly became more tempting than playing with boys." Here there were laughs, and James continued, "then in fourth year, when the initial shock of finding that we liked the opposite sex wore off, and then in fifth year, when we were terrified of facing the O.W.L.'s, but all passed. Then in sixth year, when we began to realize that the future was a lot closer than we thought. And finally, now, in seventh year, we are ready to take all of these things with us and use all that we have learned about them and use then. I know I will. So," he said gravely, "we are leaving." Here he turned to Dumbledore and smiled, "sorry, Professor, but not without a bang." Here there were groans from the teachers and student's, while the members of the crowd looked politely stumped. James, all traces of graveness gone, smiled evilly and signaled to Sirius. Sirius grinned, and said something. Scarlet and gold confetti poured from the ceiling and a banner dropped, saying in large scarlet and gold letters, "GRYFFINDOR IS THE BEST HOUSE-GO LIONS!"  
  
Lily put both hands over her mouth and dissolved into giggles as the majority of the crowd laughed. Some were roaring their approval. After the ruckus had settled down, Professor Dumbledore, confetti caught in his beard, walked up to the podium. "This was expected, and I apologize for not warning you ahead of time," Dumbledore said to the still chuckling audience. "What with the infamous Marauders, as I believe they are called, graduating, I would have been quite worried if something like this hadn't happened. And so, ladies and gentleman, I will now present the graduates with their diplomas."  
  
Professor McGonagall stepped up, her eyes mysteriously red-rimmed, and began reading the names in the same order that she had when they were sorted, this time saying the name of the house with the person. Whichever house you belonged to was the color of ribbon that tied your diploma. Lily and James both had silver ribbons in between two scarlet ones, the sign of graduating as Head Boy and Girl.  
  
"And now, I give you the graduating class of 1976!" Dumbledore cried. Lily cheered along with her classmates and hugged her friends, the scarlet and gold confetti still falling. She walked off the stage, her diploma clutched tightly in her hand.  
  
"Oh! Zere is my little graduate!" Ella cried, spotting Lily and opening her arms. Lily rushed to her and hugged her tightly. "Zat was beautiful, darling! Reminds me of when I graduated from Beauxbatons Academy," she said wistfully. Lily grinned at her. "And yoor gown! It iz abzolutely perfect! I am glad zat yoo wouldn't show it to me, so it would be a surprize!"  
  
"Oh, Ella, move over, let the rest of Lily's admirers hug her," Elizabeth Watson scolded. Ella smiled and released Lily, and Mrs. Watson hugged her tightly. "Congratulations, Lily dear."  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Watson," Lily said, returning to hug with equal force.  
  
"Lily, please, you need to call me Elizabeth," Mrs. Watson said, looking at her fondly.  
  
"All right," Lily said, and was hugged by Minister Watson right after. After he released her, Lily walked around, looked around for Katharine. She spotted her at the edge of the chattering crowd, holding her son tightly.  
  
Lily swallowed and closed her eyes briefly, not wanting to interrupt the mother-son moment. When she opened them, Katharine was talking quietly to James. Lily gasped, now able to see her fully.  
  
"I know," someone said from behind her. Lily didn't even have to turn around to know it was Gwen.  
  
"What's happened to her?" Lily asked, still shaken. Katharine resembled a pole, and her face was thin and pale.  
  
"Mum says she doesn't eat much anymore. That the only reason she does is for James," Gwen said, her voice wobbling.  
  
Lily swallowed and stepped forward slowly. Katharine turned and Lily saw her eyes light briefly. "Lily," she said, hugging her weakly. Lily bit her lip and hugged her close. "I'm so proud of you," Katharine whispered, and Lily felt her eyes well with tears. "To have watched you grow up with James has been wonderful, wonderful, and words can't describe how glad I am you're here. James is a good boy, and I'll always be comforted to know that he's with a girl who loves him as much as I love him," Katharine's voice broke, and Lily closed her eyes and shook her head.  
  
"Katharine, please, don't-don't talk like that-"  
  
"Lily," Katharine soothed, rubbing her back, "you and I both know that I'm not going to be around for much longer. But, when I do go, I will go in peace, because I know that my James is with a girl who he deserves, and who deserves him. But don't cry now," she said, pulling back, her eyes shining, "I'm going to be around for your wedding."  
  
Lily sniffed. "Promise?" she whispered.  
  
"I promise," Katharine vowed, smiling at her.  
  
Lily shook her head; this day had been full of promises. She felt a strong arm sneak around her waist, and she leaned into James gratefully. "Then we'll make sure it's sooner rather than later," he said strongly to his mother.  
  
Lily's heart jolted. They had avoided talk of marriage at all costs, even though there was a mutual understanding that they would do it eventually, but that was the first time either had mentioned it. But, she found herself nodding, happy to see that Katharine was beaming at them.  
  
They said goodbye to all the parents and trooped back to their dorms to make a last check over to make sure they hadn't forgot anything, doing it more thoroughly than ever because they would not be returning the next year. It would go to the new first year Gryffindor's, to be used by them for the next seven years. Lily lugged her trunk to the doorway and stood with her best friends on either side and they looked at their room for the last time. Lily smiled and gave it a tiny wave, before following them out.  
  
They boarded the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade Station for the last time, and all squeezed into the Head Boy and Girl compartment. Lily slept most of the way, and when she opened her eyes, it was dark outside and everyone in the small compartment was gathering his or her belongings. They wheeled their trunks out and stepped off the train and onto Platform 9 ¾. Lily glanced back at the old scarlet steam engine and smiled, before turning her back on it and straightening her shoulders, walking through the barrier and into the Muggle world. In a sense, Lily felt like she was leaving her childhood behind with the train and stepping into the world of adulthood. With her friends, and James, she knew she would be fine.  
  
Please review. I mean, it isn't rocket science, you know. 


	15. Auror Training Camp

*I am so, so incredibly sorry. It's been so long, and I really hope you all will forgive me for taking so long. I tried to make this chapter long and really great, and I hope you like it. It's a bit different, with a setting we've never had before… please review and tell me if you liked it!*  
  
Woohoo! Par-tay! Fifteen chapters, folks! That worked out really, really well! Oh, remember how, a looong time ago, when we started part two that I said that there might be a part three? Well, I've decided there is gonna be a part three! And this chapter starts it! After all, we've still got five years until that fateful night…  
  
And why did everyone think that the story was over? I mean, it's called "The Story of Lily", not "The Abbreviated, Only Goes Through Hogwarts Story of Lily"!! And I'm sorry to whomever told me that they didn't want me to continue because they didn't like it when Lily and James died-I'm going right up until Halloween, 1981!  
  
As always, thanks to my wonderful, caring beta's who are both author's of wonderful stories – Snowlily and ReineDansante.  
  
Oh, this is *so* going to thrill you all! How do you feel about a sequel to this story, following Gwen? And her life w/ and w/o Sirius- after her best friends deaths? Feelings, please!  
  
The Story of Lily  
  
Chapter 15:  
  
**This starts Part Three of The Story of Lily**  
  
**Special A/N: The idea of code names and other things has been taken from Irina's completely and totally awesome story, "The Rebirth" (well, the Epilogue, actually). And I did ask, in case you were wondering. So anyway, applause for her, and go read her story! And the Epilogue, and the sequel, Galatea! And then go join the Yahoo group!**  
  
*Another A/N: I had the most fun picking out code names! They are all real names, and if you want to go to parenthood.com and search what they mean, you'll find they all suit the person I assigned them to!*  
  
Gwen scrunched her nose up at her instructor. "Agent what?" She asked with distaste.  
  
"I told you," Agent Union said, peering down his rather long, ugly nose at the black haired girl in front of him. "It's Agent Alcina."  
  
"I like Gwen," Gwen said, balling up her fists and jamming them on her waist.  
  
"I am sorry," Agent Union sneered, "but it isn't possible to change. Now get in line with your fellow trainees!" He barked.  
  
Gwen clenched her jaw and glared at him. She was about to spit out a very rude comment when large hands enveloped hers and led her gently away. "Sirius!" Gwen cried, struggling against him. "I was going to give him a large piece of my mind!"  
  
"I know, Gwen, and we haven't even had our first lesson yet. Do you really want our Martial Arts trainer against you?" He reminded her.  
  
Gwen made a huffy noise and wrenched out of his grasp. She stood in line in between Lily and Sirius. James, who was on Lily's other side, grinned at Sirius. "Since when are you the peace-keeper?" He joked.  
  
Sirius grinned back and turned his attention to the four people standing in front of the Auror's in training.  
  
"I am Agent Nelson," one man with a burly build and kind brown eyes said, smiling at them all. "I am in charge of the male trainees and I teach physical conditioning. All Auror's need to be strong and can not always rely on their wands for escape. I cover running, swimming, and I prepare you on getting out of very tight situations when your wand isn't an option. Now I will introduce my colleague, Agent Renny."  
  
A small, elderly witch with gray hair stepped forward. "Now, you listen here, laddies," she said. Her accent was Scottish, to their surprise. "Just because I look small doesn't mean I can't handle any o'you. I teach dueling and other useful things you can do with yehr wand. So don't get any ideas," she threatened. Sirius looked as though he was dying to laugh, and Agent Renny marched right up to him and poked him in the chest with her finger. "I don't see what's funny, Agent Rhys!" She poked him so hard he almost fell over. That shut him up.  
  
A very pretty woman with brown hair and blue eyes stepped up after a moment's pause. "I am Agent Charisse." She spoke in a French accent, and Lily's heart ached. She missed Ella terribly already, and she had last seen her that morning. "I am in sharge of ze girl's and I also teash ze trainees wiz special talents. I sink zat is only two of yoo-Agent Dahlia and Agent Keefe?" Agent Charisse's accent was heavier than Ella's was, but a French accent all the same.  
  
Lily made a small noise. She should have known that Professor Dumbledore, who had contacted the Auror agency and signed her up, would have mentioned her 'talent'.  
  
"I will like to be meeting wiz zem after zis is over, s'il vous plait." And Charisse stepped down again.  
  
Next and last was Agent Union ("Agent Onion, he should be called" Gwen hissed into Lily's ear). He looked at them all sternly. "I am the Martial Arts instructor, and my class isn't to be taken lightly. I will prepare you for fighting without your wands, and make no mistake: it will be very hard. Now, come up here and get your schedules. Hurry!"  
  
Chatter broke out amongst the trainees as they went to get their designated timetables. Lily, James, Sirius, and Gwen compared each other's, and the only difference was Lily and James had an extra class right before dinner while the other's had free time.  
  
"Agent Dahlia?" Agent Charisse inquired, coming up behind Sirius. Upon closer inspection, Lily saw that she was only a few years older than she was. Charisse smiled nervously. "I am sorry for breaking up zis-how do you say? -pow wow- but I must speak to yoo."  
  
"Oh, that's all right," Sirius said a bit to eagerly.  
  
Charisse looked much more relaxed. "Good. Zis is my first year teashing and I do not know exactly how to do eet, seeing as I grashuated from Beauxbaton's Academy two years ago."  
  
Lily smiled at her kindly. "Don't worry, I'm sure you're a very good teacher."  
  
Charisse smiled widely. "Sank you, Agent Dahlia!"  
  
"I do too!" James cried.  
  
Lily gave him a withering look and he looked abashed. "Ah," Charisse said knowledgeably. "Yoo two are togezzer?"  
  
Lily grinned at James and he put an arm around her waist. It amazed her that after all the years she had known him, his touch still made her feel very weak at the knees.  
  
"Come, Agent Dahlia. I 'ope to see ze rest of yoo later. I know I will see Agent Alcina when yoo come to yoor dorm. Au revoir!" Agent Charisse smiled at Lily's friends and led Lily away.  
  
"Or river!" Sirius called after her. Lily heard a smack and Sirius' shout. She grinned and followed her teacher into a small room off the main building.  
  
Waiting there was a very handsome man – well, he couldn't have been older than Lily – who grinned when he saw them.  
  
"Agent Dahlia, zis iz Agent Keefe."  
  
Agent Keefe extended his hand and Lily shook it. She felt pleasant tingles shoot up her arm. He was tall, muscular, tan, and had blonde hair and very blue eyes.  
  
Like the sea, Lily thought dreamily.  
  
"Now," Agent Charisse said, interrupting Lily's daydream. "When I was a student 'ere, just last year, I did not like zese 'code names'. So, in my lessons, we weel call ourselves our normal names. I am Marie-Claire, and yoo weel call me zat. Agent Dahlia, yoo are…"  
  
"Lily," Lily said, smiling at her teacher.  
  
"And I'm Chase," Agent Keefe said in an accent that Lily had never heard before.  
  
"Ah, yes, yoo are our student from ze America," Marie-Claire said, smiling at him.  
  
"Yep," Chase said, grinning at Lily.  
  
"All right, now zat we are acquainted, I sink zat yoo should go and geet settled een at ze dorms. Come, mes etudiants!"  
  
"I think I'm gonna have to brush up on my French," Chase whispered to Lily as they followed Marie-Claire out of the small room and into the main building.  
  
Lily laughed. "Me as well! We don't learn foreign language at Hogwarts."  
  
"We don't at Salem either. You went to Hogwarts? My dad graduated from there!" Chase said, grinning at her.  
  
Lily smiled. "What year did he graduate?"  
  
"Hmm…I'm not sure, but I can owl him and ask," Chase promised.  
  
"Is that how you came here?" Lily inquired, wincing as she saw Agent Renny chewing out a boy.  
  
"Yeah, my dad's an Aurora, but moved to the States 'cause that's where mom lived."  
  
"So your father met your mother here?" Lily asked confusedly.  
  
"Yeah, she was here on vacation with a bunch of her friends," Chase explained.  
  
"Oh," Lily said, nodding her head. They approached Lily's friends, and they turned to look at Chase. "This is Agent Keefe, who's in my special class," Lily said.  
  
Gwen was the first to introduce herself. Smiling sweetly at him she shook his hand. "I'm Gwen Watson. Don't call me Agent Alcina, please."  
  
Chase laughed. "Nice to meet you, Gwen. I like Chase."  
  
"You're not from England, are you?" James asked curiously, noting his accent.  
  
"Nope, I'm from the U.S. And do you have the same name as the Minister?" Chase asked Gwen.  
  
Gwen smiled wryly. "I'm his daughter."  
  
"Oh, really? Cool," Chase grinned.  
  
"This is James Potter and Sirius Black," Lily cut in quickly. Chase shook hands with both, and then he turned to James. "I've heard my father talk about a Harry Potter. They were in the same year at Hogwarts."  
  
James' face-hardened. "He was my father."  
  
Oblivious to James's usage of the past tense, Chase continued. "He talks about Harry Potter all the time! He keeps swearing that one day he'll owl him, and your dad too, Gwen."  
  
"Trainees! Please, listen!" Agent Nelson boomed. "The boys quarters are to the left and the girls quarters are to the right! Please go to your rightful places as soon as possible!"  
  
"But that isn't possible," James said quietly, still looking at Chase and not giving any sign that he heard Agent Nelson.  
  
Lily bit her lip and went to him, while Gwen went to Chase. "You might want to be quiet." She hissed.  
  
"Why?" Chase asked with confusion. "And why shouldn't my dad owl yours?"  
  
"Because there wouldn't be anyone to receive the letter," James said shortly. He reached down and grabbed his large duffel bag. "I'm going to my dorm." He walked out the door, leaving Lily standing alone. She sighed and turned.  
  
"Could someone fill me in?" Chase demanded.  
  
"His father was killed last New Year's," Sirius sighed, also reaching down for his bag. "I'm going to talk to him. I'll see you later. Oh, and Chase, don't worry, he's not mad at you, just a little upset that you reminded him. I'll see you in the dorm, mate." Sirius hefted his bag and jogged after his best friend.  
  
"Well, that went splendidly." Gwen said cheerfully. "It was nice meeting you, Chase. Lils, I'm going to the dorm, all right?"  
  
"See you in a bit," Lily said as Gwen exited.  
  
Chase gave Lily a slight smile. "Whoops. I really know how to make friends, don't I?"  
  
"It's not your fault you didn't know," Lily said sympathetically. "James understands that…it's just, the memories are still so fresh…"  
  
"So in other words, don't mention his father?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said, getting her own bag and following his outside. It had just rained, and the ground under them made a slight squishing noise. "He will get over it. So, what is your special 'talent'?"  
  
"I'm a Diviner," Chase said miserably.  
  
"Why is that so bad? And aren't true Diviner's quite rare?" Lily asked anxiously.  
  
"It's bad because I know things before they happen. And no matter what I do, they always happen. I Saw the death of my long time girlfriend last year," Chase explained.  
  
Lily swallowed. "I'm sorry. That is horrible."  
  
Chase shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. Now, what about you?"  
  
"Don't let this get around, because I don't like being the center of attention," Lily begged foremost.  
  
"Okay," Chase promised slowly.  
  
"I'm the Adviser," Lily half-whispered.  
  
Chase stopped. "So – you can read minds?"  
  
"Well, yes," Lily said uncomfortably. "I don't know if I can actually read minds…it's complicated. We can talk about it later, all right?"  
  
"That's fine. I should go my own way. So we must part, fair lady!" He cried dramatically.  
  
Lily giggled, aware that he had caught the attention of the other trainees who were filtering across the ground. "I'll see you at dinner!"  
  
"Farewell!" Chase grinned, and disappeared into the small building that housed the male trainees. Lily, shaking her head and smiling, walked into her own dorm building. The first floor was a comfortable lounge, and Lily mounted the old stairs. Marie-Claire was standing at the top. "Ah, zere yoo are! Ze last one. Yoo are wiz your friend Gwen in zat room," she pointed to a door. "We 'ad a shortage of girl trainees zis year…we only 'ave six. We 'ad a shortage of trainees this year totally wiz only thirteen boys!" She shook her head. "But we need all ze help we can get, no?"  
  
"Right," Lily agreed, and made her way to her own dorm. A shortage of trainees…that wasn't good. Not at all, in fact. Marie-Claire was right – in this fight, they did need all the help they could get.  
  
Lily and Gwen's room consisted of two double beds, a vanity, a nightstand, a closet, and a chest of drawers to share. Gwen was already spreading out her bedspread when Lily came in.  
  
"I saw you," Gwen said. She gestured to the window. "Outside with Chase."  
  
Lily grinned. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"  
  
But Gwen wasn't grinning. "Lily, you need to be careful."  
  
Lily's smile slid off and she dropped her parcels. "What do you mean? Chase is a good guy."  
  
"I know he is. But you still should be careful…perhaps you shouldn't see him very often," Gwen said, standing.  
  
"What?" Lily cried, wondering where this was going.  
  
"What if something happens between you two?" Gwen pointed out, sitting on Lily's bed.  
  
Lily made a noise of outrage. "What in God's name are you talking about? I've only known him for…what? An hour? Nothing has happened! Nothing will happen!" Lily's heart was pounding. She wondered if Gwen could hear it.  
  
"Calm down. I just was making sure that you wouldn't let anything come between you and James. Because your love runs deep, remember?"  
  
"Yes, I remember," Lily snapped, and began unpacking. The two didn't say anything else after that.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Girlz! Geet up! Rise and shine, mes cheris!"  
  
Lily stirred and cracked an eye open. She moaned when Marie-Claire opened their blinds, letting the early morning sunlight in. "Up, up! Ze uzzer girlz are already up! Yoo are ze last ones, so hurry! Yoo do not wish to bee late on yoor first day, do yoo? Agent Union would not bee 'appy!"  
  
"His name is Agent Onion," Gwen mumbled from the bed next to Lily.  
  
Lily sat up and stretched. She was very excited about her first day, so she practically bounded out of her bed and grabbed a towel. "Where may I take a shower?" She asked Marie-Claire.  
  
Marie-Claire shook her head. "I sink zat yoo should take one zis evening. Yoo are not dirty now, but yoo will be later. And if yoo sleep while yoo are dirty, zen yoo will 'ave to wash yoor sheets very often, no?"  
  
"Uhm, I think I understand…" Lily said slowly, putting her towel back on the rack.  
  
"Good!" Marie-Claire smiled. "'Urry up and dress! We 'ave to be in ze breakfast at eight-sirty! Eet is eight-fifteen now!"  
  
Gwen bolted out of bed. "Oh, no!" She cried, and ran to her drawers.  
  
With the help of the mirror Gwen had given Lily for Christmas and very rapidly put on makeup, the girls and Marie-Claire were at breakfast only five minutes late.  
  
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner was held in the main building. Lily and Gwen looked around for people they knew, and spotted Sirius, James, and Chase sitting at a table, all looking half asleep with trays of food in front of them. Lily and Gwen smiled at each other and joined the buffet table. Lily chose oatmeal and toast. She plopped down in between Chase and James and poked James in the ribs. He jerked awake and smiled blearily at her.  
  
"You all are a bunch of wimps," she grinned. "We've had to get up earlier than this before!"  
  
Chase peered at her. "Usually I would be as perky as you, but I've lost five hours, remember?"  
  
They finished breakfast and deposited their trays in the back of the room. Agent Nelson stood.  
  
"Trainees! Attention, please! You will begin your training today! First you will go to the track with me! Then on to Agent Renny, and finally to Agent Union. And those of you who need to see Agent Charisse know the time, I believe. Right, let's go, you lot! Off to the track with me!"  
  
The nineteen trainees trooped outside and up a grassy hill. They topped it, and stared. Below was an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a two-mile track, and various other strange contraptions. There was even a cave of some sort. They followed burly Agent Nelson, Lily wondering the whole way what his real name was, and stopped in front of the track.  
  
"Listen up, trainees! You are all going to run once around this track, and if I find you have used your wands in any way to speed up, it is not going to be pretty! Get to it!" He yelled, and clapped his hands sharply.  
  
"Oh, no way," Gwen moaned. "I can already feel a cramp!"  
  
"You shouldn't have eaten three slices of toast, then," Lily sang, and began lightly jogging.  
  
"Lily, wait!" Gwen yelled, and ran to catch up with her. They set an easy pace, and about halfway around the track, the sprinters who had seen it like a race at the beginning were now behind them, clutching their sides and panting. James, Chase, and Sirius were slightly in front of them, talking and laughing loudly.  
  
"I'm glad that they're getting along so well," Lily commented.  
  
"Me too, but I knew James would calm down," Gwen said confidently. Lily poked her in the ribs. "What! I did!"  
  
"Have you seen Katherine since graduation?" Lily asked after a few moments of silence.  
  
"Yes," Gwen said neutrally.  
  
"Oh. How was she?"  
  
"I saw her yesterday before we left. She looked the same as she did on graduation."  
  
"Was she thinner?"  
  
"Not really…and she wasn't quite as subdued. Lily, you need to hurry up and get married."  
  
"Married?!" Lily cried, fed up. "I'm seventeen!"  
  
"You'll be eighteen soon," Gwen reminded her.  
  
"Yes, but I don't want to get married this early! I want to wait and – and…"  
  
"Be sure you're marrying the right one?" Gwen asked quietly.  
  
Lily swallowed and looked down at her feet. They were steadily pounding the dirt track, just as they had been for the last fifteen minutes. Was that it? Was that why she wanted to wait? She hadn't ever pictured marrying anyone but James…but now…she wasn't as sure.  
  
Lily lifted her head and stared at the backs in front of her. The one on the far left belonged to her best friend besides Gwen – her brother – Sirius.  
  
The middle back belonged to James. James, with the ever untidy black hair, the amazing brown eyes…she closed her eyes. She could draw an exact picture of James, down to the small freckle that was above his left eyebrow, without looking at him once.  
  
The last back belonged to the American. Lily cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. She didn't know what Chase was to her yet. But she hoped they could become good friends…  
  
After running, they assembled in front of Agent Nelson. He waited until the last trainee was in front of them, and then he spoke.  
  
"Trainees! That was pitiful! It took you all nearly thirty minutes to run a measly two miles! Now, we are going to practice running every day until you get down to ten minutes! And I want you all to start off together and finish together, with no more than ten seconds between all of you! Understood?"  
  
Agent Nelson's six-foot three burly frame suddenly became very intimidating. She managed a weak, "Yes, sir," along with the rest of her class.  
  
"Good," he said with approval. "Now, the next part of class will be devoted to weight lifting! And the sooner you begin to run faster, the sooner we can move onto swimming. Once you have completed that successfully, we will begin the actual training!" He gestured to the caves. "Now, everyone on your feet!"  
  
He herded them to a pile of rocks, the largest one roughly the size of a briefcase, the smallest could be enclosed in Lily's hand completely.  
  
"This will be easy," a boy scoffed from ahead of Lily. She recognized him as one of the fastest sprinters, and one of the last to finish the two miles.  
  
Agent Nelson overheard and smiled jovially. "That, Agent Wakiza, will be for you and your fellow trainees to decide. Here are your instructions! I want every rock and pebble in that pile to be moved into that crate over there!" Agent Nelson pointed to a wooden crate about thirty feet from the place they were standing. Lily looked at him with raised eyebrows. She had to agree with Agent Wakiza – this did look quite easy. She was one of the first to pick up a rock. Lily gasped in surprise as she picked it up. It was like carrying a weight! Soon, the rest of the trainees' gasps and moans became more frequent, but Agent Nelson's cheery smile stayed in place.  
  
At the end of the two-hour lesson, Lily had moved exactly four rocks to the crate, and when Agent Nelson blew his whistle as a signal that class was over, she exhaled in relief. Between the nineteen of them, they had managed less than a quarter of the rocks.  
  
"Trainees! Pitiful, pitiful!" Agent Nelson cried. "You will keep moving these rocks until all are in the crate! This might save your life one-day, or a friends, just remember that! Now, you have a thirty-minute break, and then you will head to the field for your lesson with Agent Renny! Off with you!"  
  
They trudged up the hill, all looking longingly at the cool waters in the swimming pool.  
  
"Murder," Gwen panted. "Absolute murder!"  
  
"How many rocks did you move?" Chase asked, nudging her.  
  
Gwen glared at him. "Yeah, how many?" James chimed in.  
  
"How many did you move?" She countered at Chase.  
  
"I asked you first," he grinned.  
  
Gwen mumbled something indistinguishable.  
  
"What?" Chase prompted.  
  
"I said ONE!" She yelled.  
  
"One?" Sirius, James, Chase, and Lily chorused.  
  
Gwen muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Go to hell."  
  
"I moved four," Lily shrugged. "What about you guys?"  
  
"Seven," Sirius said.  
  
"Eight," James and Chase chimed.  
  
Lily sucked her breath in. Why had she just felt like everything had suddenly become a lot harder?  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
After their break, which seemed to whiz by, the five friends met outside their designated dorms and followed Agent Renny on a path through woods. The whole Aurora training camp was in a large clearing somewhere in Britain, the location Unplottable. They were traveling through the woods on the right side of the camp. The path was very worn, and Agent Renny lectured them the entire way on not complaining. Did they think she had complained when a dementer cornered her in a cave? No! She had used the knowledge she had acquired from the Auror training!  
  
There wasn't any apparent reason that she had chose to treat them all to this specific lecture, but Lily guessed that it was because someone complained.  
  
They emerged on a large field, but it looked exactly like a golf course, minus the holes and flags. That was how close the grass was cropped.  
  
Agent Renny strode into the middle and cleared her throat importantly. "Trainees! Even though this doesn't require much physical strain, don't get mey wrong, this'll beh hard," she began in her Scottish accent. "Boot first, we have to get yeh in tune with yehr magic. Everyone sit in a comfortable position, and sit at least five feet away frem yehr chums, or anyone else. I need to speak with Agent Dahlia."  
  
Agent Renny motioned to Lily, and the girl broke away from the trainees to follow her instructor.  
  
"Agent Dahlia, I understand that yeh're special, and yehr magic's quite different from others. Much more powerful. So, I'd like yeh to sit and pretend that yeh're meditating, otherwise bad things might happen. Just block out what I'm telling the trainees to do, all right? Block it out. And we might have to sit yeh out when were doing things, because it is my understanding that you haven't yet learned control. Don't forget to block it out. Think of anything else. Now, go sit down," Agent Renny concluded, and strode out to sit in the center of the trainees. Lily stood where she was, thinking over what the witch had just told her. Control? What was that about? She sat down on the edge of the green, a little away from Sirius, who sent her a questioning glance.  
  
Lily shook her head, and turned her gaze from him. She wanted to be considered normal, so she wouldn't even tell her friends about Agent Renny's request. She would just block out her instructions until she learned control.  
  
Gwen's voice woke Lily from her thoughts later. All the other trainees had stood, and were walking about with dazed looks on their faces. Lily tried to copy them and got to her feet.  
  
James shook his head. "That was very strange."  
  
"Way weird," Chase agreed, looking a bit cross-eyed.  
  
Lily desperately wanted to know what had happened, but she decided she wouldn't ask.  
  
"I tried to find that light she was talking about," Gwen put in, and Lily perked her ears. "Mine's a sort of greenish. I – I can't really explain it."  
  
"I know what you mean," the three boys chorused, and Lily smiled nervously.  
  
"Now! Trainees, weh're going to be practicing simple charms, and I want yeh all to picture that ball of light that is yehr magic being put to work! Agent Dahlia, another word?"  
  
Lily obediently followed her just inside the forest where they had spoken before. "Agent Dahlia, have yeh tried to do anything with yehr magic since yeh discovered that power?"  
  
Lily thought. "Erm…simple things, like lighting a fire and summoning and lighting my wand. Oh, and I had to pass my N.E.W.T.'s at the end of the year."  
  
"Did yeh think about yehr powers when yeh did these things?" Agent Renny pressed.  
  
"No," Lily said awkwardly.  
  
Agent Renny thought for a moment, and then led Lily a bit farther down the path, away from the meadow. "I want yeh to find yehr powers and summon that stick over there," she pointed to a loose stick on the ground a few feet away from Lily.  
  
Lily looked at her curiously, but shut her eyes and found her magic anyway. The blue fire was still there, burning brightly, and Lily reached for it. A though occurred to her suddenly, and she opened her eyes.  
  
"Should I command it in my head or say it out loud?"  
  
Agent Renny's eyes widened. "Yeh-yeh mean yeh can do it in yehr head?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said slowly.  
  
"Blessed Mother, no one told meh that!" Agent Renny exclaimed. "Do it in yehr head then, girl!"  
  
Lily re-positioned her wand so it was pointing directly at the twig and shut her eyes again. She found her magic and pictured the twig. "Accio!" She exclaimed firmly in her head. Lily felt magic leave, and opened her eyes. She ducked right before it hit her right square on the forehead. The stick shot in its direction and then stopped, reversed itself, and began moving towards Lily again at alarming speed.  
  
"Stop it!" Agent Renny was crying, "use the finishing spell!"  
  
"Finite Incantatem!" Lily yelled. The force of her command caused the stick to become no more than a pile of sawdust at Agent Renny's feet.  
  
Lily stood to find her small teacher looking at her in bewilderment and awe. "Let's – head back, then," she stuttered at last, her eyes still wide.  
  
Lily wasn't allowed to participate for the rest of class, and Agent Renny's eyes kept darting back to her.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily's friends questioned her during lunch, but she refused to answer them. The only one who didn't ask questions was James, who was looking at her, as if contemplating something, through the entire meal.  
  
After lunch, they were lead on a path through the forest, this time to the left side of the camp, and James approached Lily.  
  
"It was your powers, wasn't it," he whispered, taking her hand. They were bringing up the rear of the group, so they could talk privately.  
  
"Yeah," Lily said, and recounted the whole tale to him. When she was finished, James exhaled loudly.  
  
"Wow, Lil," he said finally, and squeezed her hand. "That's amazing."  
  
Lily looked down at her feet. "They scare me. It scares me that I can do something like that," she confessed.  
  
James stopped and lifted her chin. "It's wonderful. You shouldn't be scared, you could do great things with an ability like that."  
  
"And terrible things," Lily whispered.  
  
"Yes, but only if you command them to do terrible things. Use them for good, Lily, and you'll be fine," he assured her. They shared a brief, sweet kiss, and thoughts of Chase vanished. When she pulled away her head was quite light, and a smile found its way onto her face.  
  
The arrived at a clearing, and situated in the middle of it was a building, in which they assembled. It was covered in mats, and had a large boxing ring in the middle. There were punching bags hanging in a group in one corner of the room, and a cluster of ropes were hanging in another corner, knotted. There were dummies in another corner, and the last was where the entry/exit was.  
  
"Attention! Form one horizontal line, facing me!" Agent Union barked. They did so quickly; Lily was squashed in between James and Gwen.  
  
"You will not need your wands. I know it is a rule in this camp to carry your wands at all times, but this is an exception! Everyone, lay them in those cubbies over there, along with your shoes!" He pointed to a set of cubbies, each with the trainees' names on them. Lily quickly took off her runners and placed her wand in the cubby marked, "Agent Dahlia," where upon they did a most astonishing thing: disappeared.  
  
"They are now gathering data about you, so now only you may reach your hand in the cubby and get your belongings. You needn't worry about protection; this buildings has the most recent wards. Now, come and sit on a mat! We are stretching!"  
  
After ten minutes of stretching, the nineteen trainees stood and awaited instruction. Agent Union put them all into fighting stance sideways, both hands in fists level with their jaws. He taught them to throw a punch with their wand arms while guarding their jaws with the other arm. They practiced this motion until Lily was sure she could do it in her sleep. Agent Union then set the each up in front of a punching bag. There were twenty in all, one for each student and one for him. He then demonstrated the punch again, this time his fist connecting solidly with the bag. The trainees followed his example.  
  
"Don't rush, trainees! You want to hit the bag with the same amount of precision each time! Don't get sloppy! Agent Rhys!" He barked to Sirius. "You are rushing! Slow down, hit the bag evenly and consistently!"  
  
They practiced punching until Agent Union was satisfied they had gotten it down. Then they were herded back onto the mats and he taught them to stand in fighting stance again, this time sideways, with their right side facing him, and then to side step with their left legs and kick with their right.  
  
"Side step KICK! Side step KICK!" Agent Union cried as he watched them. Then they were made to stand with their left sides facing him and kick with their left foot. That was harder for some people (including Lily). They then practiced the right and left kicks against the punching bags.  
  
After, they had to do fifty sit-ups. "You had better get used to this!" Agent Union yelled as he walked through the trainees, who were busy counting sit-ups. "Soon we'll work up to one hundred, then one hundred- fifty, and so on! Now, give me ten push-ups!"  
  
At the end of the class, Lily's stomach muscles were screaming. She and Gwen leaned on each other on the way to their dorm, neither having done a push-up or sit-up in their life.  
  
"I'm going to be feeling it tomorrow," Gwen groaned, collapsing on her bed once they reached their dorm.  
  
"I will too, but I bet it won't be as bad as it was when we skied for the first time!" Lily said, taking off her running shoes.  
  
"Yeah," Gwen agreed.  
  
Lily was heading for the shower, which they shared with the two girls in the room next to theirs, when Marie-Claire stopped her.  
  
"Lilee? Where are yoo going? You 'aven't forgotten zat we 'ave our class before dinner?"  
  
Lily heaved a sigh and returned her towel to her room and tied on her tennis shoes. She re-did her ponytail and met Chase and Marie-Claire outside. She glanced over at Chase and her heart skipped a beat. Well, several, actually. His blond hair was damp and it looked as though he hadn't had the chance to dry thoroughly after his shower – his thin white tee-shirt was sticking to his very well defined abs. Lily's mouth went dry. All too late she realized the Marie-Claire was talking to her.  
  
"Lilee? Are yoo zere?"  
  
Lily jerked her head up and blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, what was the question?"  
  
"I asked if yoo 'ad a good day today?" Marie-Claire said patiently.  
  
"Oh, well – it was hard," Lily said simply.  
  
Marie-Claire leaned in closer. "I talked too Agent Renny. She told me and all ze rest of ze staff about what 'appened today wiz ze stick," she whispered.  
  
Lily licked her lips anxiously. "Well – what do you suggest?"  
  
"I 'ave to agree wiz Agent Renny. I 'ave to teash yoo control! I sink zat yoo will probably be able too yoose yoor powers in varying degrees of force once everysing up zere is in order," Marie-Claire tapped gently on Lily's skull.  
  
"Yes, I agree," Lily nodded.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Chase asked curiously.  
  
Lily stared determinedly at her feet. She wouldn't look at him – she wouldn't. Why was this happening to her?  
  
"Nozzing," Marie-Claire said quickly. "Ah! We are 'ere," she had led them to the gymnasium where they had just taken Martial Arts. She pushed them inside and instructed them to sit on the mats. Once they were comfortable, she began. "Now. Zis takes ze utmost concentration. I want no interruptions, oui?"  
  
"Um, okay," Chase said awkwardly, knowing no more than Lily did about Marie- Claire's mixture of French.  
  
"Now, yoo sit Indian style, like zis, and close yoor eyes. Now, I 'ave to regulate yoor breathing-"  
  
"Marie-Claire," Lily interrupted quickly, opening her eyes.  
  
Marie-Claire opened one eye in annoyance. "Oui?"  
  
"Agent Renny told me that I shouldn't meditate or whatever this is," Lily began in hesitance.  
  
"Oh!" Marie-Claire jumped to her feet. "I almost forgot! Excuse moi!" She then placed her wand on Lily's forehead. "Now, yoo must bee quiet for zis," she ordered.  
  
"Uhm – Marie-Claire," Chase began, "have you ever done this before?"  
  
"No, I 'ave not! And I will not mess up if yoo are quiet!" She barked, and closed her eyes.  
  
Lily gave Chase a small smile and closed her own eyes. "Now Lilee," Marie- Claire said in a soothing voice, "I want yoo to find yoor powers. Do yoo see zem?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said in a voice that sounded alien to her.  
  
"Good. Now, I want yoo to take a piece of ze purple magic zat will be coming in once I say zis spell, and form a sin wall around eet. Is zat clear?"  
  
"Yes," Lily said again. A moment later, Marie-Claire uttered a spell and, true to her word, a thin mass of purple magic entered Lily, and Lily worked for a long time on building a wall. She finally opened her eyes, beads of perspiration on her forehead. Chase and Marie-Claire were talking quietly.  
  
"Yoo have been at eet for an hour! Are yoo finished?" The French woman asked expectantly  
  
"Yes," Lily said, feeling dizzy.  
  
"Wonderful! Now, Agent Union said zere might be some side effects, but he didn't really – Lily, are yoo all right?" Marie-Claire's voice became alarmed.  
  
Lily's knees buckled, and even though her eyes were wide open, she felt as though she was seeing through them half-closed. Then Marie-Claire and Chase began to sway and double in her vision.  
  
Chase caught her before she hit the floor.  
  
  
  
Wow, that one's long! I hope it makes up for all the time I haven't written! Please review. You all keep me going.  
  
Bella 


	16. The End?

1 Hey! I'm sorry this has taken so long, but life's been hectic…please review! And thanks to my ever-patient beta's, Snowlily and ReineDansante. I luv you both!  
  
I know this really probably isn't good, but if you want to read a good, GOOD book, go buy "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging"! It's the funniest book I've ever read! If you like "The Princess Diaries", you'll love this!  
  
Right, on to the story!  
  
2 The Story of Lily  
  
3 Chapter 16: The End?  
  
The world slowly came into focus around Lily. At first it was slightly blurry, but then she was able to make out a fuzzy shape hovering above her. She squinted, and the shape exclaimed, "Goodness me! She's awake, everyone!"  
  
There was a great rustling as the sound of many feet crowded around her. She could make out Gwen's relieved face, Sirius's anxious face that mirrored Chase's, and finally James's face that was laced with worry and happiness.  
  
"James?" Was what she meant to say, but it came out "Jmghs?"  
  
"Thank God," James breathed, touching her face tenderly. "How are you, love?"  
  
"My head hurts," she croaked, and sat up. She accepted the offered glass of water.  
  
"Oh, Lilee! I am zo zorry! I did not know eet would 'ave sush an impact on yoo!" Marie-Claire's tearstained face came into view.  
  
"It's alright, I'm fine," Lily managed a smile at the distressed Frenchwoman. "How long have I been here?"  
  
"You passed out yesterday night – and it's now around five o'clock." Chase said, biting his lip. "I carried you through the woods and into the main building, and then Agent Nelson took one look at you and grabbed a first aid kit which was a Portkey and we appeared here," he said in one breath. He leaned down and hugged her gently. "You scared the shit out of me, I hope you know," he whispered.  
  
Lily gave a slightly hysterical giggle, not enjoying the effect he was having on her.  
  
"We just contacted Ella," Sirius added, hugging her as well. "She should be on her way."  
  
"Oh, Lily, I haven't been so scared since the Hogsmeade thing! I mean, Chase came out of the woods with your limp body, and Marie-Claire was having hysterics…" Gwen burst, pushing Sirius away and squeezing her best friend.  
  
Lily suddenly took in her surroundings. "Where am I?"  
  
"At St. Mungo's," a woman dressed in a starched white coat and impeccably styled hair said as-a-matter-of-factly to her. "Lily, I am Dr. Velving."  
  
"Hi," Lily said weakly. "Am I going to be okay?" She asked bluntly.  
  
"Oh, yes, you're going to be fine…at least, we hope. But there is no way to tell if the spell Miss Duvoux cast worked. Only you can tell that. Oh, but don't try now!" Dr. Velving exclaimed, stopping Lily from trying.  
  
"Lilee! Oh, mon petit!" Ella burst through the door, tears running down her face. She basically threw herself at the redhead in bed. "What 'appened? Zey only told me zat you were in an accident, and needed me to come!"  
  
"Miss! Excuse me!" Dr. Velving cried, prying Ella off. "Lily needs rest! All this excitement isn't good! Now, Lily, I want you to sleep some more, all right?"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily awoke early the next morning. Ella, who was the only remaining person out of Lily's friends (they had all been forced to go back to camp), was already awake.  
  
"Lilee? 'Ow are yoo?"  
  
"I'm fine," Lily answered. "I feel much better."  
  
"Zat is good. My muzzer always swore zat sleep was ze best medizine of all." Ella smiled down at her. "Oh! I almost forgot," she reached down and drew a letter out of the bag of overnight things she brought. "Zis came for yoo by Muggle mail, cherie."  
  
Lily examined the letter closely. "But I don't know any…" her voice trailed off. She did know a Muggle – one she hadn't seen or heard from in over seven years…  
  
"It couldn't be," she whispered. The letter was addressed to Lily Evans in perfectly formed, neat handwriting. The return address was one she didn't recognize. She opened the letter and drew out a plain sheet of Muggle notebook paper.  
  
"Goodness, look at zat peculiar paper!" Ella exclaimed. "And what is it written in? If it was ink, it would have gone through ze paper!"  
  
"It is a type of ink," Lily said airily. The letter said:  
  
"Lily-  
  
I don't know if you'll get this, but if you do, I have the duty of telling you that Papa died from a heart attack."  
  
Papa…a picture of a stern, blonde headed man with green eyes filled her vision. White as a sheet, Lily continued:  
  
"Although it's not like I want you to come, his funeral is this coming Sunday at the Evans's House. If you do come, dress normally and don't bring any of your freaky friends! I'm engaged, by the way, to the most wonderful man! I shan't tell you his name though; because you might do whatever freaky thing you do and make him love you!  
  
Petunia"  
  
"My father," Lily lowered the paper slowly. "He's dead."  
  
"Oh, Lilee! Zat awful man zat Violet took you from?! Well, not to speak ill of ze dead, but good riddance!"  
  
Lily nodded slowly. Ella was right, of course – the last memory she had of the man was he raising his hand to slap her. She looked back down at the paper. "The funeral is on Sunday – I think I'll go."  
  
"Go? But why?" Ella exclaimed.  
  
"Because, I want to see what Petunia is like now," Lily said truthfully, looking straight ahead with unfocused eyes. "And I want to see who she's marrying, and see if he's as wonderful as she says he is. And perhaps make up with Petunia. It's just, I haven't visited that world in so long, I had begun to wonder if it still existed."  
  
Ella sighed and nodded reluctantly. "All right. But I want yoo to take James, just in case!"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily returned to the Auror training camp the next day, with warnings to not meditate for a few days, just in case. She got permission from Agent Nelson to go to her father's funeral with James. The two used the Floo network to get to The Leaky Cauldron, and hailed a cab from there. The Evans's House was just outside London.  
  
Lily said nothing the entire time she and James were in the cab. Internally, she was shaking. What would it be like to see all of the old sights again, like Petunia's room? Or the kitchen, where she had spent much of her days…and what would it be like to see the old hayloft in the barn?  
  
Lily forced back tears. She again wondered what her life would be like if her mother hadn't died, like she had done on and off the past eight years. Would she still live in that house? Would she have grown up in a loving environment? Would she and Petunia be as close as sisters should be? Would Petunia be as cold and biased now as she sounded?  
  
It will do no good to think of "would's", Lily scolded herself mentally. She would just come, pay her respects, exchange a kind word with Petunia, and leave. And she knew that James would be there the whole time by her side.  
  
"Are you nervous, love?" he whispered, pulling her close.  
  
"A little," she admitted, resting her cheek on his wool sweater. "I just can't help thinking – if my mother hadn't died-"  
  
"If your mother hadn't died, you wouldn't have lived all those years with Violet," James reminded her softly.  
  
"I wouldn't trade that," Lily said, but there was a hint of apprehension inside her. Would she trade knowing her mother with living with Violet?  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't like thinking those thoughts.  
  
"We're here," the cabby announced, pulling in to the long drive in front of the Evans's House.  
  
James paid the cab driver with Muggle money and the two got out. Lily was shaking. She remembered this driveway – tears were welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction. "I can't do this," she mumbled. James caught her arm. "No, let go, I cannot do this."  
  
"Lily, when we get back home, you'll be glad you did it," James soothed. He coaxed her to keep going. They walked around all the cars that had turned out for the funeral, and followed the directions to the back yard, where the entire funeral party was assembled solemnly around a freshly dug grave.  
  
The priest was saying prayers, and finally, Edward Evans's casket was lowered down into the ground. Lily, who was in the back, couldn't see very much, but she was squeezing the life out of James's hand.  
  
When it was over, the people gathered headed inside for the reception, but Lily held James back.  
  
"Come on, I might as well," she headed determinedly towards the old barn.  
  
She found she still remembered how to climb the rickety old stairs, and was having trouble breathing with all the waves of déjà vu that were hitting her. Finally on the landing, she brushed off her black, simple dress and let out a gasp. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, and, standing where her old sack of grain filled with hay should have been was a very large, dusty bed.  
  
"How did that get there?" James asked with confusion. "And why are we in this barn anyway?"  
  
Lily was clutching her chest. The she let out a sort of strangled laugh. "Violet conjured the bed to prove to me that magic existed eight years ago. And this barn was where I lived."  
  
"What?!" James exclaimed. "You lived here?"  
  
Lily was still in shock. "And no one has come up here since. This – oh, this was one of my two dresses – and this was my nightgown…these were my underwear, this was where I used to wash my face and brush my teeth…" Lily touched everything in turn.  
  
James pulled her to his chest and hugged her tightly. Lily breathed in his scent, and instantly felt calmed. A few minutes later, she pulled back and they left the barn. Lily swore never to enter it again.  
  
They went inside the house, and Lily had to bite her lip the entire time. She remembered cleaning each and every piece of furniture - and after looking around a bit more, she turned to James.  
  
"I can't put this off any more."  
  
James nodded and followed her to the place where her sister was. She recognized Petunia immediately – the only way she had changed was she had grown taller. She still looked bony and horse faced.  
  
When Petunia saw her, she went as pale as a ghost, and clutched the beefy man behind her.  
  
"You!"  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Petunia," Lily said. Although her tone was pleasant, her eyes were very cold.  
  
"Why are you here?" Petunia hissed, looking around frantically to see if anyone else was within earshot.  
  
"Because you invited me."  
  
"But I didn't expect you to come!" Petunia was livid.  
  
"I've just come to pay my respects," Lily snapped back.  
  
Petunia regained her composure and gestured to the man behind her with a smirk. "This is Vernon Dursley, my fiancé." She suddenly noticed James behind Lily. "Oh, pardon me for not introducing myself!" Lily watched her give James a once over. He did indeed look very dashing in his close fitting sweater and khaki pants. "I'm Petunia Evans!"  
  
"James Potter," James said coolly. "Lily is my girlfriend."  
  
Petunia froze, and Lily swore she saw something that looked remarkably like jealousy pass over her sister's face. James put his arm around Lily's waist protectively.  
  
"Well, we came, James," Lily said to him. "But I think we've been here long enough."  
  
"Oh, but wait," Petunia had regained her nasty attitude. "I have something Father left for you, dear sister," she smirked and disappeared into a side room. Vernon was left alone, and he was staring at the couple.  
  
"What is it that you do, Vernon?" Lily said politely, hoping that Vernon wasn't as mean as his fiancée.  
  
"I'm in drills," Vernon said. "I've got a proper job, unlike you, probably. You do evil things, don't you?" He sneered. It was then that Petunia returned.  
  
"Here," she shoved a piece of paper into her sister's hand and flounced off, Vernon at her heels.  
  
"Let's go," James grabbed Lily's wrist and dragged her out into the driveway.  
  
"James?" Lily asked nervously, "how exactly are we getting back?" James answered her by transfiguring a twig into a Muggle car.  
  
"James, how did you-" Lily was cut off by the shriek of a woman who had seen the car. Luckily, no one else was around, so Lily simply modified her memory with a brisk, "Oblivious!" And the two drove off.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
It wasn't until many hours later, when Lily went to bed early, that she remembered the note Petunia had given her. She nervously unfolded it. It was cut out from something, and quite small…Seconds later, after reading it, she heaved a sob and buried herself under her covers. The paper read:  
  
"I know that I must do this, so when I die, I shall die with a free conscience. Therefore, I, Edward George Evans, forgive my daughter, Lily Carolyn Evans, for murdering her mother, Iris Marie Wellington Evans, on July 16, 1959."  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
In Agent Nelson's class, Lily and her fellow trainees had moved down to twenty minutes in running their mile, and the pile of rocks was steadily diminishing. In Agent Renny's class, they had begun to work on Apparating.  
  
"Come on, lads and lasses! It's not that hard!" The small woman bellowed a few days later. "Heaven help us, the representative from the Department of Magical Transportation is going ter be here in two weeks time!"  
  
She had been quizzing them on what to do if you Apparate to the wrong place and have dropped your wand in the process. Lily had a strange feeling that if she tried, she might be able to Apparate and Disapparate without a wand, but she wasn't in a hurry to try that.  
  
Their self-defense lessons with Agent "Onion" were going well also. Lily assumed that everyone was doing fine overall, until one day, she got word from Marie-Claire that Agent Beacan, the small boy who was always complaining, had been asked to leave.  
  
"I didn't know they could do that!" Gwen exclaimed, sitting up in her bed.  
  
"Zey can," Marie-Claire said, nodding her head regretfully. "But I doo agree wiz zem."  
  
"How did they do it? Do they just say, 'You aren't a good Auror so you have to leave'?" Lily cried. She was quite flabbergasted.  
  
"Zey gently tell ze zelected trainee zat eet would be in zere best interests to do zomezing else," Marie-Claire explained, smoothing down Lily's coverlet. "Ohh, but yoo do not know zat, girlz!"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
A few days later the trainees finished moving the pile of rocks. They all cheered when Agent Nelson congratulated them.  
  
"Yes, yes, well done. But now, you realize, the training will only get harder. Wear your swimming things tomorrow!"  
  
The next day, Lily, James, Gwen, Sirius, and Chase descended the hill, happily chatting. Lily and Gwen had tied their hair back so during swimming it would not get into their faces.  
  
"Right, up here, you lot!" Agent Nelson, already in his swimming trunks, bellowed. They gathered around him. "Now that you have completed phase one of your training in my class – that includes running your mile together in ten minutes and moving the pile of rocks – you will now begin your swimming. But first, as Agent Union has doubtless told you, you must stretch and warm up! Now, everyone out of your clothes!"  
  
Lily pulled her tee shirt and shorts off, revealing her simple, one-piece bathing suit. She and the rest of the trainees went through their stretches, and once they were finished, they stood and gathered around Agent Nelson.  
  
"Trainees! Who here knows how to dive?"  
  
Chase, along with Agent Wakiza ("Surprise, surprise," mumbled Gwen) were the only two who raised their hands.  
  
"Right, then! Agent Keefe, you stand on that diving board, and Agent Wakiza, you stand on this one." Chase was on the one to their left, Wakiza on the one to their right. "Ready, and – dive!"  
  
Chase and Wakiza dove perfectly into the pool. They surfaced seconds later.  
  
"Well, that doesn't look too hard," Sirius said, but his tone carried a hint of doubt.  
  
"Perfect! You stand like so, with your hands above you head and your feet slightly apart," Agent Nelson demonstrated, "and then you jump headfirst into the water. How is the temperature, by the way, boys?" Agent Nelson grinned good-naturedly at the two in the water. Lily hadn't noticed that they were shaking.  
  
"Very refreshing, sir," Chase said, his teeth chattering.  
  
"Good, good! Now, are there any questions? All right, then! Make a line in front of this diving board!"  
  
The line moved slowly. James, as well as Sirius, did their dives nearly perfectly, and Gwen, who was in front of Lily, also did it well. When it was Lily's turn, she mounted the board nervously. She positioned herself exactly like Agent Nelson told them to, and jumped in headfirst. The water was so cold, she didn't realize that she had done the dive perfectly. She glided underwater for a few feet without having to move her limbs.  
  
"Because, Agent Wakiza," Agent Nelson was saying when Lily surfaced, "diving is a quick way to get ahead of your pursuers if you are near water. Just as Agent Dahlia demonstrated, very good job, by the way, that you can glide quickly underwater without splashing around so much. All right, has everyone gone? Good! Now, everyone jump in please!"  
  
Everyone got in the water, and Agent Nelson instructed them to get in the center of the deep end and swim in place with their heads above the water. It was called treading, he said, and they needed it to stay in shape. They treaded for five minutes, and then swam to the side, each breathing hard.  
  
"By the time I'm done with you, you'll be able to tread water for twenty minutes!" Agent Nelson cried, a mad gleam in his eye. Lily stifled a moan and paid attention to the big, burly man (who, incidentally, hadn't joined them in the pool) that was teaching them a swimming stroke.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
"Lilee! Lilee, ze owl post 'as just come een wiz a letter pour tu!"  
  
Lily looked up, her eyes very tired from studying. The trainees' Apparation Test was to be tomorrow, and Lily was reviewing what to do. Gwen was out walking with Sirius (although Lily doubted that walking was all they were doing), and James and Chase were helping Agent Nelson with something.  
  
She curiously reached out and took the envelope from Marie-Claire, who was looking at her with anxious eyes.  
  
"And it's for Gwen aussi!" she was saying. Lily smiled to herself. When Marie-Claire was excited, she started speaking in French, and at times, Lily couldn't understand. The letter was from Mary Katherine, and it said, in tidy scrawl:  
  
"Lily, and Gwen,  
  
Oh, you'll never, ever guess what! I'm getting married! To Remus, who's only the most perfect man in the whole world! And both of you, you've been such wonderful friends, and, well, I want you to be my bridesmaids! Hayley is the Maid of Honor…and Sirius is the Best Man (if he accepts, that is – Remus is writing a letter to him and James), and James and Peter are groomsmen! When are you getting married, Lily?? Has James even asked yet? He should soon! And you, Gwen? Are you still with Sirius? And you're eighteen next week, Lily, right? July sixteenth? I'll send you a present, don't worry!  
  
When Remus proposed, we were at my favorite restaurant in Hogsmeade, and I started crying my eyes out! I really hope that you can get away from school for enough time – I know it doesn't end until August 31st, but Remus and I couldn't wait that long – I hope you understand! And I really apologize for not writing sooner, but things have been hectic! Oh! The bridesmaids' robes are beautiful, which reminds me – the fitting is next Saturday, the eighteenth…oh, there's so much to do! Please hurry and write back! Oh, and I've enclosed a copy of the invitation, just for posterity, and plus, the map is handy…well, I must go!  
  
Love,  
  
Mary Katherine  
  
P.S. – Would you believe that, in midst of all this madness, Remus and I were able to go take our Apparation exams? We both passed!"  
  
The invitation read in fine, purple script:  
  
3.1 "Edward and Joanna Wampler  
  
And  
  
Philip and Maria Lupin  
  
Proudly Announce the Wedding of Their Children,  
  
Mary Katherine Wampler  
  
And  
  
Remus John Lupin  
  
On Saturday, August Twentieth, Nineteen Seventy-Seven  
  
At the home of Edward and Joanna Wampler (see attached map)  
  
Six O'clock P.M.  
  
Formal Dress, Please  
  
RSVP Required"  
  
"Oh!" Lily squealed. "How wonderful!" She was wondering when they would get married – and Mary Katherine's last letter (which had, incidentally, been a few days after they had graduated) had hinted as much. "But we won't be finished with our training by then, will we?"  
  
"No, yoo won't…but I sink zat, if yoo ask properly, Agent Nelson weell let yoo go." Marie-Claire answered, reading the letter over Lily's shoulder. "Lilee! Eet is yoor birzday next week? Why didn't yoo tell moi?"  
  
Lily shrugged. "I forgot myself! Oh, do you know where Agent Nelson is? And Gwen and Sirius, for that matter? I should probably share this with Gwen first…"  
  
"I saw Gwen and Sirius walking in ze woods a moment ago, near ze training field."  
  
"Right! Well, I'll see you later!" Lily jumped up, grabbed the letter, and raced outside. "Gwen! Where are you?" She yelled as she headed into the forest. "Gwen?"  
  
She heard a rustling in the bushes to her right, and her Auror reflexes kicked in. Her wand was out and ready within seconds.  
  
"Lily?" Someone out of breath gasped from inside the bush – Gwen.  
  
"Oh, God, did I interrupt?" Lily felt color creeping into her face.  
  
There was a giggle, and Gwen popped her head out of the bush. "No! It's just me in here – I'm hiding from Sirius."  
  
"Why?" Lily asked curiously, her wand still in position.  
  
"Would you mind keeping it down? We're playing hide-and-go seek! Come here if you want to talk to me!" Gwen hissed, and ducked back into the bush.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes good-naturedly and followed. Once inside, she said, "Honestly, you two are like a bunch of first years!"  
  
Gwen giggled. "Well, what did you need to talk about?"  
  
Lily grinned and pulled the letter addressed to both of them out. Gwen read it quickly, and then popped out of the bush.  
  
"Oh my goodness!" She climbed out of it and beckoned for Lily to do the same. "Come on, we've got to find Agent Nelson!"  
  
Once Lily was out, they began running towards the swimming pool. "This is so neat! We simply must go!" Gwen exclaimed, her longer legs preventing Lily from running next to her.  
  
"Yeah, I know…and we'll see Hayley again, which will be really good," Lily agreed. They both ran the distance to the pool easily. "Where are they?"  
  
"I dunno – perhaps by the mine?"  
  
"Right, let's check there."  
  
They jogged to the mine, and soon heard the boys' voices. "Agent Nelson!" Gwen cried, her voice laced with relief. "Can we talk to you?"  
  
Agent Nelson appeared in the mouth of the mine. "Girls! What a lovely surprise. Come to help, have you?"  
  
Gwen snorted.  
  
"No, Agent Nelson," Lily said politely, "we actually came to ask you a question."  
  
Agent Nelson sat down on a stray rock and mopped his sweaty, dirty face. "Ask away."  
  
"Well, you see, our really good friends are getting married-" Gwen began.  
  
"Married?!" James exclaimed, coming out of the mine. "Who?!"  
  
"-And we want to go to their wedding, which is on August twentieth. It's a Saturday…may we please?" Gwen finished, ignoring James.  
  
"Who's getting married?" James demanded again.  
  
"Remus and Mary Katherine!" Gwen snapped.  
  
"Remus and…well, good God! I never thought Remus would be the first to walk down the aisle…" James grinned and stood next to Lily.  
  
"I suppose it's all right. That's right before your final exams, though, but if you want to, it's fine with me." Agent Nelson said finally.  
  
"Yes!" Lily and Gwen exclaimed.  
  
"Thank you!" Lily cried, and grinned at James. "Sirius is the Best Man and Hayley is the Maid of Honor."  
  
"How do you know?" James frowned.  
  
"Because, she wrote us a letter," Gwen said smartly.  
  
"Uh huh, and why didn't we get letters?"  
  
"You are getting a letter! It should be in your rooms!"  
  
"You may go now James, Chase," Agent Nelson said, nodding to Chase, who had just emerged from the mine. "Thanks for the help, boys."  
  
James waved slightly, and began walking with the girls and Chase back up the hill. "Can I read yours?"  
  
"Yes," Lily handed him the letter.  
  
"That's really wonderful," James said, smiling. "So we have to go and be fitted two days after your birthday?"  
  
"We can have a celebratory lunch!" Gwen suggested brightly.  
  
Lily wasn't paying much attention – she was too busy wondering if Chase felt left out. "Chase – you don't mind if we go, do you?" She asked.  
  
"No, not at all," Chase assured her.  
  
Lily nodded, still a bit distracted. "Okay."  
  
"Right, so anyway," Gwen was saying, "I wonder what-"  
  
"Gwen!" The betrayed voice of Sirius said, and as the four topped the hill, they saw him standing there. "You left me alone in the woods!"  
  
Gwen giggled. "Whoops, sorry! But really, there's something more exciting-"  
  
"I know," Sirius said, waving a letter. "Here, James, you can be in charge of writing back, and I accept," Sirius handed it to James. "But, I have more important things to do…"  
  
Gwen had begun to edge away from him. "Sirius, I swear, I didn't- aaagh!"  
  
Sirius dove for her, and she yelled again. "Come here, Gwennie, I just want to hug you!" Sirius cried teasingly, and began running towards her.  
  
Gwen gave a shriek and ran out of his reach, and it soon turned into a full out chase. She ran and hid behind Chase, clutching his arm tightly.  
  
"Fine, Lily'll give me a hug, won't you, Lils?" Sirius pouted.  
  
Lily, who was laughing, held out her arms and hugged Sirius. But soon she felt her feet leaving the ground – Sirius was carrying her. "Sirius!" she gasped. Her stomach hurt from laughing.  
  
"God, Lily, you weigh nothing. Much less that Gwen!" he yelled. Gwen gave a cry and jumped into Chase's arms.  
  
Chase, not expecting it, almost fell, but stayed on his feet. "Ha! Chase doesn't think I weigh a lot!"  
  
"Nope," Chase grunted.  
  
"Uh!" Sirius dropped Lily, who was caught by a nearly hysterical James, and pulled his girlfriend out of Chase's arms.  
  
Lily hung on to James, and they both watched as Sirius picked up a stick.  
  
"En guard, senior!" Sirius cried, "unsheathing" his stick.  
  
"Aha! We will duel for ze fair Guenivere!" Chase said, also "unsheathing" a stick.  
  
"It's Gwendolyn!" Gwen yelled at Chase, her voice hoarse.  
  
Lily felt James laugh – a laugh that was wonderful, music to her ears. "Come on," he said, walking away, Lily still in his arms, "let's go somewhere where we won't get hit."  
  
"Sounds good to me!"  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The day of the Apparation test came, and Lily, James, Sirius, Gwen, and Chase all Apparated and Disapparated perfectly, and were each awarded with certified Apparation Licenses. This made their lives much easier, for now, they could just Apparate to the wedding and to the fittings (which was held at a bridal boutique in Diagon Alley).  
  
Lily woke on her birthday to Gwen, who was jumping energetically on her bed. "Good, you're awake! Wonderful! Come on, it's your BIRTHDAY! And in two days we're going to be in wedding robes, and maybe we can shop around for some robes for you-"  
  
"Gwen!" Lily managed hoarsely, "I'm not getting married!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gwen waved her hand airily, "but it's only a matter of time! Now come on, get up!"  
  
Lily got up groggily and smiled at her. "It is my birthday, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes! Here, open my present, won't you?" Gwen handed Lily a small package. Lily opened it and gasped. "Oh, how sweet!" It was a jeweled collar to go on Iris, and it had her name engraved in it with two purple stones on either side. "It'll be perfect," she said sincerely, and hugged her best friend.  
  
"Here," Gwen said, handing her three packages. "One's from Remus and Mary Katherine and one's from Peter and the other's from Hayley. Go on, open them!"  
  
Lily smiled slyly at her friend and began to slowly open the thin package from Peter. It was a simple card that said 'Happy Birthday" on the front in flashing letters, and inside was a gift certificate to Zonko's.  
  
"Oh…how, erm…thoughtful," Lily said, handing Gwen the certificate.  
  
"What does the card say?" Gwen asked, disregarding the certificate.  
  
"Um – 'Dear Lily – Happy Birthday! I'll see you at Remus and Mary Katherine's wedding! –Peter – P.S. – When are you getting married?'"  
  
"Oh," Gwen said. "Right – anyway, here's the one from Hayley," she handed Lily the small package from Hayley. There was a lengthy letter from her attached, and Lily put it aside to read later. "Probably asking me when I'm getting married," she muttered, tearing the wrapping paper off the present.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Never mind," Lily said a bit peevishly. The present was a small box. Lily opened it, and found it was empty. "I wonder…"  
  
"Oh, look here," Gwen said, picking up a small card that had come with it, "it's a box that grows to fit whatever you want. Apparently, it can get to be the size of a coffee table," she looked doubtfully at the small box.  
  
"Cool!" Lily exclaimed, putting the collar Gwen had given her inside. Sure enough, the box grew to accommodate the collar.  
  
"Well, that's neat. Here's the one from Mary Katherine and Remus. Ha, they're already sending gifts together!" Gwen gave Lily the package that was thin like Peter's had been. It was a card that had a Quidditch game going on in the front. Inside it read:  
  
"Lily – Remus picked out the card – lovely, isn't it? And he also got you the charms for your bracelet. I got you this certificate because I think you'll need it after our wedding reception, which is going to be held at the Leaky Cauldron…I don't think you're going to be in good enough shape to Apparate home. Anyway, we cannot wait to see you on Saturday!  
  
Much love,  
  
Remus and Mary Katherine"  
  
Lily grinned when she read the slip of paper. It was a certificate valid for one night at the Leaky Cauldron. She gave it to Gwen and picked up the tissue paper and unwrapped it. Inside was a little diploma charm and a little…a little eye, that had a green pupil and long lashes, and it was blinking at her.  
  
"Oh, how funny!" Gwen exclaimed. "That's adorable!"  
  
"Yeah," Lily agreed, grinning. She checked her watch. "Oh, we need to go, otherwise we'll be late for breakfast!"  
  
"So? What are they going to do to us? It's your birthday," Gwen said, staying seated.  
  
"Yeah, but it isn't yours," Lily reminded her as she rummaged through her drawer.  
  
"Ooh, good point."  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
For her birthday she received a radio from Sirius that played only the current hits; from Chase she got a plush crystal ball – it was a pillow, and it told you your feelings at that moment; and from James she got a silver bracelet. It had silver circles, and then, so inconspicuous she almost missed it was a single gold heart. From Marie-Claire she got a translator that, when she spoke into one side, came out French (or her language of choice) the other end.  
  
She had a very good day, ending with getting farther in her classes with Chase and Marie-Claire.  
  
"Zat was excellent, Lilee," Marie-Claire was saying excitedly. "Yoo are really getting yoor powers under control!" Lily had managed for the first time to set something on fire in her head without blowing it up. "And Chase, yoo are coming on very good as well!" Marie-Claire checked her small watch and started. "Goodness me, look at ze time! Oh, no, I must go! Yoo take yoor time, but I must dash! See yoo in a moment!" And she was gone, leaving her two students chatting happily.  
  
"Yes, I swear," Lily was laughing, "and then I thought we were going to crash into the ground, but luckily, James pulled the broom up just in time. He did it just to scare me!"  
  
Chase was quiet for a moment.  
  
"Chase?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was…just thinking."  
  
"About what?" Lily prompted.  
  
Chase stopped dead and turned to face her. "Lily, do you love him?" he demanded.  
  
Lily's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
"Do you love James?"  
  
"Yes…I think so. Why?" Lily said slowly.  
  
"It's just…I think about you all the time!" he burst. "And I've always wondered what it would be like to kiss you." He started to move closer.  
  
"Oh – really? Well-" and before Lily could say another word, his lips were on hers.  
  
And she felt – oh, she felt…absolutely nothing…  
  
"What…what in God's name…is going on here?"  
  
Lily pulled away, a smile on her face…and the bottom of her stomach dropped out.  
  
It was James, standing there. And instead of him being angry and yelling, he was just standing there, looking lost.  
  
"What – Lily-"  
  
"Oh, James," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "This is wonderful!"  
  
He began backing away slowly. "I-I'm sure it is."  
  
She rushed towards him to hug him. "James-"  
  
Then he did the most astonishing thing – he slapped her hand away. "Get. Away. From. Me." he said slowly and deliberately.  
  
The smile dropped off of her face and she pulled her hand to her chest. "But-wait! This is good! I swear, it isn't what it looks like-"  
  
"What do you mean it isn't what it looks like?" James exploded. "You – him!" He pointed to Chase. "I knew, I knew, from the moment I met him – from the moment I met him, that he wasn't to be trusted! I've never liked you, contrary to popular belief! And this just proves that my instincts were right about you!"  
  
"James-" Lily cried, her voice cracking.  
  
"And you!" He whirled on Lily. But instead of yelling, which Lily thought she could handle, he just stared at her. "I was going to propose to you, tonight." He said softly. "I even have the ring. I was going to come find you, and I had my speech all ready-"  
  
"James-" Lily whispered, and tears started coming out of her eyes.  
  
"But I guess," he continued bitterly, "I guess my instincts were wrong about you. I guess my mother, who loves you so much – I guess she was wrong about you as well. Too bad – God only knows what's going to happen to her now."  
  
Lily gave a sob, and took a step towards him. James moved back, his eyes darker than the blackest night.  
  
"Happy birthday, Lily." he spat, and reached into his pocket and threw something at her feet. "I don't need this anymore." And with that, he was gone.  
  
Lily stood there, frozen, watching the space where James had been. Then she felt Chase's arms encircle her.  
  
A fury took her over, and she spun around and slapped him with all her might across his cheek. "This is all your fault!"  
  
"Lily! Didn't you feel that kiss? Wasn't that wonderful?" Chase asked in a betrayed tone, bringing a hand up to his cheek.  
  
"I'm an idiot," Lily was muttering, "I'm the most stupid person in the world to think for once that I liked you more – no, that I liked you as much – as James!"  
  
"Lily-"  
  
"Leave, now!" She commanded.  
  
Wordlessly he walked out of the small clearing, leaving Lily by herself.  
  
She began to tremble violently, and sat down in front of the box James threw at her. Sobs overtook her, and blearily she reached for the velvet box. She knew without looking what was inside, but she opened it anyway, just to torture herself more. To her surprise, she recognized the diamond, and peered at it closely. She had seen it before…where?  
  
A picture came to her mind's eye. A picture from last Christmas, and a slender hand with the diamond on the ring finger presenting her with white satin dress robes…she traveled slowly up the arm, and looked straight into the beautiful, poised face of Katharine Potter.  
  
Oh, God, what had she done?  
  
Dimly she was aware of her best friend's arms, along with Marie-Claire's, pulling her up and walking her into the girl's dorm and up into her room. She lay back on her bed, in a sort of haze, and Gwen gently pried the velvet box out of her grasp. She heard her not-so-muffled gasp when she saw what was in it, and the hurried conversation between Marie-Claire and Gwen. But Lily felt her eyes drooping, and moments later, she was fast asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily awoke the next morning and wondered for a split second why she was still in her clothes…and then she remembered.  
  
Chase. Kiss. James. Engagement ring.  
  
Lily squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to go back to sleep, but it was futile. Seconds later she heard footsteps, and in came Gwen, fully dressed, and holding a napkin.  
  
She sat down on Lily's bed and presented her with a few pieces of toast.  
  
"Here. This is your breakfast – I wanted you to sleep some more. Are you okay?" She asked with concern, and Lily began to cry again. In a second, Gwen's arms were around her, and Lily's flood of tears gushed out even more.  
  
"Shh, there, there," Gwen soothed. "Everything's gonna be alright…"  
  
When Lily was finally reduced to hiccups, Gwen pulled back.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what happened? Sirius doesn't know anything, Chase won't talk, and James just sat there at breakfast and said nothing. And he didn't even look at Chase…"  
  
Lily nodded and swallowed. She told her friend the whole story.  
  
"And-and then you c-came, and y-you know the r-rest," she finished.  
  
Gwen hugged her again. "Oh, Lily…that's horrible…what he said…"  
  
"I deserved it!" Lily said fiercely. "I questioned our love, which he never did, and would never do! I'm the scum of the earth! I don't deserve to live," she shook her head hopelessly. "Gwen, I lost the love of my life to a guy I'd known for a month!"  
  
"Lily, don't worry! You'll get him back! You just have to tell him! Tell him the truth of what happened!" Gwen urged.  
  
Lily snorted and got up. "But I can't if he won't speak to me."  
  
"Oh, Lily…just think, tomorrow's the day we see Mary Katherine and Remus! It'll be fun!"  
  
"-and the ring…" Lily was muttering, but she realized something, and spun around. "Oh, God! What'll Katharine say?! Gwen?! I can't bear the thought of… oh, Gwen!"  
  
Lily sat down on the floor and sobbed. Gwen sat down next to her and rubbed her back, feeling very, very helpless.  
  
And that was how Marie-Claire, who had been sent from Agent Nelson who was missing two trainees, found them thirty minutes later.  
  
  
  
Poor, poor Lily, I know…please, please review…I know you hate cliffhangers, but the sooner you review, the sooner you get more story! Oh, and I think only one or two of you commented on if you would like a sequel fic following Gwen? Please tell me your feelings on this!  
  
Bella 


	17. My Light in the Dark

IMPORTANT A/N: Right...*shifts nervously in her seat* I'm going to be absolutely flamed to freakin' hell for this chapter, but I would like you to remember if you are an author, as my good friend Xavi said: 

"We authors take the shit together. Any good author knows that what's best for the story is what has to happen." 

Please remember that when you review. Oh, and some VERY good things do happen in this chapter, too! But you all need to remember that Voldemort had to have done some pretty awful things to have people be too scared to say his name, and this chapter illustrates it. Those days weren't all happy, they were quite dark, so please think of this logically when you review.

Thanks to my wonderful beta's, Snowlily and ReineDansante - I'm going to miss you sooo much, Lils! Also, a special thank you to Xaviera Xylira, who helped me wade through all the thoughts in my head and get this chapter right - and for telling me if the paragraphs were too "choppy" - lol, Xavi! 

The Story of Lily

Chapter 17: My Light in the Dark

__

"Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night

You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light..."

~ Courtesy Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" 

Gwen endeavored to cheer Lily up with the prospects of Mary Katherine and Remus' wedding, but nothing could help. Lily wandered around in a sort of daze the whole day, only speaking when she had to (and that was generally only to one of her teachers). Gwen managed to fill in a lost and distressed Sirius, and, his reaction was not to be mad at Lily, but instead to turn his full wrath on Chase. Chase really only talked to Gwen, who had forgiven him, and James talked to no one but Sirius on occasion.

Saturday dawned bright and clear. Gwen pulled Lily out of bed and the two got dressed into their robes for the first time in months and met James and Sirius outside in front of their building.

After standing for a few moments in tense silence, in which Sirius and Gwen were hoping their best friends would speak to each other, James finally took out his wand, mumbled "Let's go," and Disapparated.

Lily, her eyes full with tears, brandished her wand and Disapparated as well. She Apparated in front of a small shop in the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. The shop sign had a picture of a bride and groom, and read: "Weddings by Victoria". She jumped when the door slammed and she saw James' back disappear inside. 

Lily had finally realized what her life would be without James, and came up with one thing: nothing. It would be absolutely nothing.

She cringed every time she remembered the kiss - that dull feeling she had gotten - and remembered how she had been aware of everything around her. But when she kissed James, she was in a whole new world altogether, and nothing else mattered. She wanted to kiss those lips all her life! And those lips only!

With a frustrated grunt, she pushed open the door (not checking to see if anyone was behind her) and entered. It was a nice, very pink and very brightly-lit little store, with racks full of every color robes you could think of. 

She heard a shriek from somewhere behind a rack and a second later, a pair of very tanned arms was squeezing her to death: Mary Katherine.

Lily laughed in spite of her current mood and hugged her friend back. She was very happy for the curly-haired brunette and was not going to spend the day thinking about old whatshisface over there, talking to Remus.

"Oh, Lily, it's soooo good to see you! I've missed you soooo much! How are you? How are you and James, better yet?" 

Lily pulled back and forced herself to smile, "I'm fine, and you?"

Mary Katherine's eyes narrowed. "Lily, I've lived with you for seven - no, sorry, make that four - years, I know when you're lying," she stated.

But her attention was diverted by the arrival of the next two members of the wedding party, and for that, Lily was quite thankful. Telling Gwen had been murder yesterday, and she wasn't quite up to it now.

She forced herself to act happy, like nothing was bothering her, and she boldly walked over to where Remus, Peter, and James were standing, and she tapped Remus on the shoulder.

"Lily!" he said, turning around and smiling. His usually tired face was lit up, and he looked happier than she had ever seen. They hugged tightly, and then Lily hugged Peter. They chatted for a while until Mary Katherine called for their attention.

"Please! Okay, now, Hayley is coming, but she's running a bit late, so I suppose we'll start with the grooms' robes!" Mary Katherine clapped her hands together and grinned. She pulled off the rack simple black robes that were trimmed with silver, and Lily noticed that the small diamond on her finger sparkled in the sunlight. She felt herself sliding into her depressed mood again, but forced herself not to think about it and to pay attention. 

"-and of course I won't let you see my wedding robes, because it's bad luck," Mary Katherine was saying. "So! Let's go, shall we?"

Lily stared in astonishment when the attendants came out: they were all wearing bridal robes, overseen by a large blonde woman dressed in the ugliest pink wedding robes Lily had ever seen. There were enough attendants so that each person of the wedding party could have one.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the fat woman was saying with a smile. "I am Victoria, owner of this shop, and I will be seeing everything from flowers," she gestured behind her where there was indeed a large collection of flowers, plus a few florists. "-to cakes, and I have already done the invitations. Now, gentleman, if you will please follow the attendants with the blue badges into the men's section...yes, I know, Miss Wampler, you want the robes with the silver trim for the grooms, the silver threaded with gold for the Best Man - who is he, by the way?"

No one answered.

The wedding party turned, to see Sirius leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, gently snoring. Gwen smacked his arm and he jerked awake. She whispered furiously in his ear and he stumbled forward.

"Thas' me," he said sleepily.

Lily put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggle.

Victoria was deeply affronted. "Humph. Follow those attendants, all you males!" Sure enough, there was a doorway marked "The Men's Section". "Remember, what the groom says goes! Now, for the ladies...you want the maroon satin with silver for the bridesmaids, correct?" 

Mary Katherine nodded, her eyes shining. 

"And your Maid of Honor you want the silver with gold thread...speaking of, where did you say she was? I remember her from when you came earlier..."

"I'm here!" Someone panted from the doorway.

Lily turned to see Hayley, looking slightly more grown up since the last time she had seen her, but still with the same silvery blonde hair and big blue eyes. 

"Lily! Gwen! Oh, it's heaven to see you again!" 

Lily and Gwen each hugged her tightly. When she pulled back, Lily was slightly misty-eyed. 

"I've heard all that happened - but I want to hear it from your points of view-" "Come on, girls!" Victoria interrupted, clapping her hands.

Gwen rolled her eyes and Lily raised her eyebrows.

"I know, isn't she a laugh?" Hayley smiled, and moved to go hug Mary Katherine. Lily and Gwen turned around and pasted on their own smiles.

"Let's have the three bridesmaid's first! Stand on those stools, dears!" Victoria pointed to three stools in front of mirrors, and as soon as Lily stepped on hers assistants rushed over and began measuring every part of her, it seemed. 

"So, Mary Katherine," Gwen said conversationally, batting away a tape measure, "where are you and Remus going to live?"

"We're thinking of that charming cottage on the edge of Hogsmeade - next to Dervish and Bangs?"

"It's an adorable little place," Hayley agreed, looking at herself in the mirror. 

"Yes, but it's kind of small," Gwen said, looking at her doubtfully. "And you know, if you want to have little Mary Katherine's and Remus's running around, you're going to need a bigger house."

Lily snorted and Mary Katherine blushed. "I know, I know. It's just temporary, I suppose. But we could always add on. Oh! I forgot to tell you! The reception is going to be at my house since the ceremonies' there. But Lily, I think you can still use your certificate."

Lily nodded. "Yes, I suppose..." 

Hayley then turned to Lily. "So, Lils, when's your big day?"

Lily felt a stab of pain shoot through her, and she looked away, her eyes filled with tears.

"What?" Mary Katherine asked with puzzlement, looking at Gwen.

Gwen's teeth were clenched and she was making furious slashing motions at her neck. Mary Katherine and Hayley, while still bewildered, got the message and began to talk about what color nail polish they would wear.

After they had been fitted, they met the men and exited the shop. Outside, the wedding party exchanged good-byes and promises to owl each other weekly. Then all Apparated to their destinations - Lily, James, Sirius, and Gwen to auror training camp and Mary Katherine, Peter, and Remus to lunch. 

Upon their arrival to Agent Nelson's class the following Monday, he clustered them around the mine entrance. 

"Listen up! You're going to be doing the mine exercise today! I'm splitting you into teams, just as I would if you were real field aurors! There will be three groups of five and one with four. I've carefully reviewed all your strengths and weaknesses and have assembled the groups thus: Group One is Agents Alcinia, Rhys, Wakiza, Cherlin-" Lily glanced at this time to the very pretty yet modest girl and thought she would go well in the group - "and Ivory." Agent Ivory was very white, and it took everything in Gwen's power, Lily knew, to not say something about 'sunlight' to him. "Group Two is: Agents Eitan" - Lily glanced at James - ", Junna, Advante, Keefe, and Dahlia."

Lily froze. She was in a group with the two people she least looked forward to seeing - one because she was afraid she would break out in tears if she saw him, and the other she was afraid she might punch upon encountering him. And, oh, great, Agent Junna was the girl who had a very large crush on James...she was already flirting with him, Lily saw with disgust. She rather liked the quiet Agent Advante, who was quiet and serious. He had always been very polite to her, and everyone else she had seen him with. 

Once Agent Nelson was finished with the groups, he shouted for quiet. "Now, trainees! You will elect a group leader in a few moments. Of course, you know that in real life the one in charge is the one with the highest rank in the group. Please do that now, and then I will give the team leaders what the group will need and I will explain the objective of this."

Lily walked slowly over to where her group had congregated and kept her eyes on the ground. She could tell Agent Junna was flirting like mad with James, Chase had diverted his eyes, and Agent Advante was standing quietly. Finally Lily's head snapped up. Her eyes rested on James and Junna and her mouth dropped open. He was facing her and smiling, his forehead resting on hers. Her arms were twined around his neck and his - around her waist.

"Fine, if no one else will call order, I will." She was inexplicably angry, and suddenly had the confidence boost she lacked when she saw Agent Junna hanging all over James. "Who votes Agent Junna to be captain?" She tried to keep the sharpness out and wasn't sure if she succeeded.

No hands went up, and Junna was too busy to notice.

"Agent Keefe?"

No hands.

"Agent - I'm sorry, I forgot his name." She was staring at James. She marveled at her courage, and wondered if she was slowly turning into Gwen. 

James's face turned red and he muttered, "Eitan."

"Right. Sorry, it slipped my mind," she said with mock-pleasantness, and smiled very falsely at him. "Does anyone vote Agent - erm, Eitan?" 

No hands went up except Junna's, plus her very giggly laugh. 

"Agent Advante?" 

Everyone hesitated. Lily knew that the boys thought Agent Advante was very stuck up and didn't like him much. But nevertheless, James' hand shot up soon after Lily's. To her surprise, Chase's stayed down. 

"Me?"

Chase and Agent Advante's hands went up and Lily sighed. "Well, it's a tie. Agent Junna, you're going to have to choose between me and Agent Advante."

Junna smiled hugely (and fakely) at Lily. "I'm going to be feminist and say Lily!" she said exuberantly.

Lily nodded and turned to face Agent Nelson, who was coming towards their group. "Picked a leader, have you?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes, I am," Lily said.

Agent Nelson looked at her nervously. "Perhaps you should just direct them and not really do anything," he half-whispered, but everyone in the group heard. 

Lily smiled pleasantly. "I'm fine, really, sir."

"If you're sure..." he said doubtfully, but handed her a rolled up piece of parchment. "Now, you're going on sort of a treasure hunt, very much like the one that will be on your final exam. All four groups are searching for a wooden crate that is somewhere inside this old abandoned mine, and once all five in the group touch it, you will be Portkeyed here. It could be anywhere, remember, and if you've given up, come back up here. And team members can be disqualified! If you cheat off of one group or go anywhere on the map that's marked red, you will immediately be sent back up here and will be punished accordingly. Good luck! Ready, everyone? Go!" he yelled to all the groups, and they charged into the mine. Lily held her group back to study the map. 

"Right, there's a stream right here, near the very center of the mine...if we follow this track, we will eventually come to a dead end - the end of the mine." She said, thinking out loud. The mine was inside the hill in front of her - it was a pretty good size, too. "Does anyone have an idea as to where we should start?"

"I say we head to the left," Chase proposed. 

"Are you sure?" Agent Advante said. "The circles on the map symbolize rocks - loose ones are over there-"

"Lily can blast anything out of our way," James said quietly, fixing her with his brown eyes. She had something scathing to say back, but she froze. His eyes had never, ever looked at her that way - that was how he looked when he talked about someone like Lucius Malfoy... "So why not? Unless she doesn't feel up to it today - I hear having superpowers makes one tired..."

Words rushed back into Lily's head and she walked up to him so merely three inches were between them. "I am the leader of this group, and if you speak to me in that tone again, I'll be sure to disqualify you." Her words cut through the air like icy knives. Then she turned mock innocent. "Is that okay? I hear making assumptions that aren't true and are in fact very far from the truth makes one tired too." Then she turned on her heel and told her group to follow her into the mine.

After an hour of taking all the tunnels to the left, Group Two came to a huge wall of loose rocks - the very rocks they had moved themselves for the past few weeks. 

"Does anyone know how to get past this?" Junna finally whined after a few moments of contemplative silence.

Lily breathed in deeply, willing herself to not fly all over this girl. "No, Agent Junna, we don't. But I was thinking - if we could move some of the rocks...perhaps there's something hidden under this..."

Chase leaned against the wall. "Yes...perhaps..." He lost his balance slightly and his hand slipped. But instead of hearing it hit another rock, for it had slid into a crack, his whole arm soon followed. "I'd say Lily was right!" 

Lily rushed to him. "And you're arm isn't touching anything? Can you move it and explore some more?"

Chase moved his hand around and then pulled his arm out. "Nothing."

Lily grinned. "Wonderful! Now, we should probably clear the rocks away...I'm going to follow Agent Nelson's advice and just direct. All right, now, everyone us 'Wingardium Leviosa" and move a few!" 

James lazily said the spell, but was surprised to find nothing happened. Soon the other members of the group tried, except Lily, and found none of the rocks would budge. 

Lily exhaled and faced her frustrated team. She swallowed and then stood up straighter. "Everyone, I want you all to make sure none of the other rocks fall - can you do that? Cast your strongest Strengthening Spell and hope it holds. I'm going to move the rocks around the hole where Chase went through." 

Everyone stared at her, except Chase, who started casting his spell. Agent Advante then broke it by chortling. 

"You cannot be serious," he gasped. "How utterly ridiculous! No one can move even one rock, and you're telling me you can move all of those around that hole?" 

Lily's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth, but Chase cut her off.

"Of course she can. She's the Adviser with incredible powers. Now get to work." 

Well, it wasn't exactly a compliment, but it was close enough, and Lily felt her anger towards him reduced. She cast her own Strengthening Spell as a precaution and then instructed everyone to step back.

She was quite nervous because the only things she had lifted had been in the gymnasium, but was positive that she could do this. She raised her want and closed her eyes, finding her bubbling well of blue magic. It was fairly leaping behind the barrier of purple magic at the task ahead. Lily pictured the part of the wall she wanted to move, and envisioned all of the rocks neatly breaking away from the wall, leaving a hole big enough for a person to fit through, and then commanded out loud for good measure, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

There was a horrible grating noise and Lily pressed her hands to her ears, but watched in fascination at the scene in front of her. The exact piece she had envisioned was coming apart from the wall. It hovered there, apart from the wall, and Lily felt her strength draining. She realized she needed to move it, and she pointed it to the left of the wall. It moved there slowly, fell to the ground and broke into pieces. They felt a very slight tremor under their feet, but besides that, everything was perfect.

Lily's legs gave away and she landed on the dirt ground hard. Soon her team was surrounding her, each of them very impressed - except Chase, who didn't look even remotely surprised, but congratulated her and told her he knew she could do it. 

All James could say was, "Wow, Lils," and that came out a hoarse croak. Lily's heart broke at the usage of her nickname - she had always loved it when it came out of his mouth.

"Oh, do stop fussing," she said, and stood up with Agent Advante's hand (and apology) and walked a bit unsteadily over towards the hole. 

James came up beside her. "I'll go first, if you want," he said quietly, staring into the dark opening.

Her courage (and anger) vanished for the moment. "Uhm, I guess, if you - erm, want..." she stuttered. 

He looked into her eyes briefly before turning to the other three. 

"Light your wands, everyone. I'm going in first. Lily, only follow if I say it's alright." He stepped through the hole and the only think Lily could see was his wand bobbing from place to place.

"It's fine! It's a huge big chamber with a tunnel leading out of it!" he exclaimed. "Come on in, Lily!"

She gingerly stepped inside, her lighted wand stretched out in front of her. It was just a dirt chamber with a dark hole in the wall. Her heart beat quickly as she stood next to him...so close, but yet so far...and wondered if he was going through the same turmoil. The rest of the group filed and, and a unanimous vote was taken to follow the tunnel and see where it led.

Lily was in front, leading her group (and attempting to ignore what's-his-name with the glasses) through the dark tunnel. After about what she assumed was ten minutes of walking, she felt a presence next to her and she jumped. Her wand light fell on the mischievous face of James Potter, and she groaned.

"I know that look in your eyes. What did you do?"

James looked at her with wide eyes. "I almost stepped on a poor spider, and decided to give it a nice home - down Chase's shirt." 

Lily hesitated before smiling slightly. Was there a hidden meaning in that action? James sensed her discomfort and saluted. "I apologize for interrupting you, O Fearless Leader. I'll return to my ranks."

Lily caught his sleeve before he (or she, for that matter) knew what she was doing and whispered, "I could use some company."

They walked in silence, but it wasn't the tense silence that had been around them for the past few days like a stifling blanket - it was almost companionable.

Soon they came to lighted chamber with another tunnel leading off of it. And there, in the corner, framed by two candles, was a medium-sized wooden chest. Lily rushed to it and grinned.

"This is it. It has to be it."

"We all have to touch it at the same time, remember," Agent Advante reminded them in an excited voice. 

Suddenly, from the other tunnel, they heard talking. "Another group is coming!" James cried, and grabbed Lily's hand. "Right, on the count of three - one, two, three!"

Lily pressed the hand that wasn't held by James onto the chest and felt the jerking behind her navel. They stayed in the chamber long enough to see Gwen's surprised and Sirius's delighted faces - but their eyes weren't on the chest, but James and Lily's joined hands.

~*~*~*~*

"Lily!"

Lily recognized her best friends' voice behind her, and knew exactly what she wanted to know, so she smiled a friendly smile at James and turned to face the black-haired witch. Gwen was out of breath running up the hill with Sirius at her heels, and bother had looks of anxiety mixed with joy on their faces. When they caught up, Sirius paused only to say "good job" before leaping to James, but Gwen slowed and walked with Lily.

"I saw you!" She said triumphantly.

The redhead, still in a good mood from her win and the unspoken truce between her and James, decided to play with Gwen. "Yes - we beat you by a few seconds."

Gwen glared at Lily. "Oh, come off it, you know what I mean! About you and James!"

"What about us?"

"Well, that's what I want to know! You were holding hands-"

"So?"

"Are you together again?!"

Lily smiled. "Nope," she said cheerfully, bending over to pick a daisy. "He loves me," she said, picking off a petal, "he loves me not..."

"No?" Gwen asked, clearly flabbergasted. "But...but why..."

Lily tossed the flower away and grinned. "Friends hold hands."

"Frie-no! Why in God's name are you friends? You aren't supposed to be!"

"Gwen," Lily said patiently, "we've come to an unspoken agreement to be civil. We're friends and nothing more. Well, for now," she added thoughtfully. When Gwen didn't answer, Lily exclaimed, "Did you know it's past lunch? We're missing Agent Renny's class!"

~*~*~*~*

The day of the wedding arrived soon, much to the wedding party's happiness. After a month of intense practice for their exams - to be taken the following week and a half - they were ready for a break. Lily could now Apparate from one short distance (from the mine to the main building so far) without her wand, and on the personal front, she and James had been "just friends" since that day. They hadn't even attempted to discuss The Incident, as Gwen and Sirius had dubbed it.

On Saturday, August twentieth, a very sleepy Gwen, Sirius, James, and Lily met outside the main building, not looking like they would in a few hours - dark circles and sweatshirts were in abundance. Agent Nelson sent them off with his good wishes, and expectancies to see them back by no later than five the next day. Lily was armed with her gift certificate to the Leaky Cauldron along with her bag filled with makeup and other necessities. 

"I'm going to try this." Lily said firmly. "I am going to Apparate there without using my wand." She stuffed the polished stick into her pocket.

"Lily-" Sirius and James both began worriedly, but Gwen cut them off.

"Don't try to reason with her," she said in a surly tone. "It won't work. I tried last night." 

Lily smiled with satisfaction. "Right. I want one of you to go ahead, and the rest to stay behind, just in case..."

Gwen disappeared quickly, saying she didn't want to watch and would wait at Mary Katherine's house. Lily turned to face the men, her demeanor strangely calm. "Oh, come on," she said, looking at their faces. "I've a good feeling about this. Plus, what's the worst that could happen?"

"You could damage your powers," James said.

"You could get splinched." Sirius pointed out.

"You might end up in the middle of nowhere."

"You might accidentally land on some poor person - what if you landed on, say, the caterer who's got the cake?"

"Oh, shut up," Lily snapped. "I'm going." She closed her eyes, imagined exactly where she wanted to be, and a second later she opened her eyes and was right in front of a huge house. A squeak sounded behind her and she turned. Gwen was beaming at her. "Good job. I almost splinched myself! Remind me again why Mary Katherine wants us to be here at nine-thirty? The wedding isn't until six."

Lily shrugged, unable to keep the excited smile off her face. This - this talent would be perfect! If she didn't have her wand and was somehow trapped, she could get out! Provided she knew where she was, of course. 

"C'mon, let's go, Superwoman," Gwen said. Two pops sounded in front of them and James and Sirius appeared, and the four of them walked towards the house. 

"You lot! Come here!" Hayley appeared from the back yard dressed in a Muggle business suit. "Oh, good Lord, girls, you are going to simply adore the bridesmaid's robes! They are perfect!" she enthused, and kissed James and Sirius. "You two need to go find Remus. He's acting like a complete git, worrying about everything in sight! Well, it could have to do with the fact that no one can find the carpet that lines the isle, and the service is taking place in the backyard...Perhaps you can help!" Sirius and James exchanged glances and jogged around the side of the house. "I didn't want to tell them about the state Mary Katherine is in incase they tell Remus...she's a nervous wreck! Come on, she's up in her room."

"Uh oh," Gwen muttered. "Is she having second thoughts or something?"

Hayley pushed open the door, let Lily and Gwen pass, and shut it behind them. "Well, no - she really does love him, you know, but she keeps ranting on about how she's too young to marry...and I'm very scared to tell her about the missing carpet...she took ages picking out that cream to match the cushions on the chairs." Hayley exhaled. "It's right up here to the left." 

She knocked on the door and someone cried, "Whose there?"

"It's us, Mrs. Wampler - Gwen, Hayley, and Lily."

A short woman with dark hair streaked gray opened the door. "Girls! How wonderful to see you!"

Lily had only met this woman twice over the seven years she knew Mary Katherine, but had always liked her. Mrs. Wampler hugged her and Gwen and let them pass. "I'm going downstairs to check on how everything is down there."

"Um - well, we have a slight problem-" Hayley whispered hurriedly. She told Mrs. Wampler about the missing rug, and her face fell. 

"Dear Lord. Well, I'll go see to that...you three just try and get her to see reason - and to get out of those pajamas!" She smiled grimly and disappeared down the hall.

The three girls went inside her bedroom and their eyes rested on dark skinned, curly haired Mary Katherine, who was sitting in the middle of her floor on the white carpet, staring at something only she could see and swirling her finger in her coffee. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her pajamas were wrinkled.

Hayley went first and sat down in front of her. "M.K.?"

Lily followed and sat on her left and Gwen on her right. "Are you okay?"

Mary Katherine sniffled and gave them all small smiles. "You know," she said in an amused voice, "when I was planning, I imagined myself jumping out of bed, getting into the shower, and then putting on a wonderfully brave face for the rest of the day and directing all the preparations. But I'm not," she shook her head. "I'm up here hiding in my room!" They were all silent for a moment, not knowing what to say to that, and then Mary Katherine broke it. "How's Remus?"

Hayley gave Lily a darting look. "Erm, well, we have a slight...um, problem..."

"Oh, God," she groaned, putting her face in her hands. "What is it?"

"Well," Hayley began in a whisper, "the...er...rug, that you picked out-"

"The one to go down the isle?"

"Yes - well, you don't happen to know where it is, do you?"

Mary Katherine jerked her head up. "It's lost?!"

"Technically, yes," Hayley said in the same whispery voice. Mary Katherine fell sideways onto Lily with a piteous moan. Lily stroked her hair while giving Hayley and Gwen frantic looks. 

"Do any of you have any suggestions as to how we can get her to calm down?" Hayley mouthed, her eyes wide. They were all silent for a moment, until Gwen's face lit up like a lamp. 

"I've got a brilliant, brilliant idea!" 

~*~*~*~*

Two hours later found the four young women entering a salon in Muggle London. Mary Katherine had showered and put on makeup and was looking put together. Only her closest friends could detect that worried air to her. 

The receptionist smiled brightly at them. "You must be the wedding party that called a few hours ago! Lovely! And the bride is which one?"

Mary Katherine stepped forward and attempted a smile. It looked more like a grimace, but the woman seemed to appreciate her endeavor. 

"Good, good! If you'll follow Bridgett here, girls," she gestured to a big woman in a white suit, "she'll take you to your massages, and then onto thirty minutes of yoga, followed by haircuts, manicures and pedicures, styling you hair, and finally our experienced makeup artists will make you look like stars!"

Bridgett took them into a cream colored room with five white dentist-like chairs and handed them red terrycloth robes. "Take off your clothes in de dressing rooms and vait for de masseuses."

Hayley gave them all a big smile. "This is so exciting!" She squealed, and took the first dressing room. 

Lily claimed the third one, and as she took off her khaki pants and Muggle shirt, she was very thankful that Gwen had remembered Mrs. Watson - Elizabeth - loved to go to a spa/salon when she was stressed. Elizabeth had immediately told them where she liked to go. 

Lily emerged in the terrycloth robe and saw four women wheeling in little carts. Bridgett instructed them to pick a chair, and soon their massages began.

Lily's eyes were closed and she was falling asleep quickly. This, surely, was heaven...

"Lils?"

Someone called. It was Mary Katherine, so Lily didn't have the heart to tell her to shut up. "Mmmh?"

"How are you and James? No one let me ask a question the last time..."

"Yeah," Hayley chimed in.

Lily, now fully awake, sighed heavily. "It's a long story-"

"They're just friends now," Gwen interrupted bitterly.

"Just friends?" Mary Katherine cried. "How did that happen?!"

Lily found the entire story spilling out of her mouth in front of the masseuses and all, and for a moment, no one said anything.

"Oh, dear," Mary Katherine finally said weakly. "I paired you up with him in the wedding."

"You need to tell him the truth, honey," Lily's masseuse said, wiping her eyes.

"That's a good idea," Hayley agreed.

"I know I should! But I - I just can't! I don't ever have the chance to...and oh, I miss him so much!" she choked.

"Here," Lily's masseuse handed her a tissue. "Tell him tonight at the reception. If your friends get you two alone together, the subject's bound to come up."

Lily couldn't see it, but she knew immediately that Gwen had a mad glint in her eyes, signaling a plan was forming in her head. "Gwendolyn Elizabeth Watson!"

"How does she do that?" Gwen muttered crossly. "It's nothing bad, Lily, I promise. Just leave it to Sirius and I."

~*~*~*~*

Four hours later, they emerged from the salon, each looking perfect. The makeup and hairstylists had magical powers, Lily decided. Her hair, looking exactly like Hayley's and Gwen's, was done in curls with two braided pieces meeting in the back of her head. They had on darker makeup since the wedding was at night, and it matched the maroon (or so Hayley and Mary Katherine said) of the bridesmaid's dresses. Mary Katherine's hair was up in an elegant twist, and she had plans to decorate it with white roses, the flowers of the wedding. They stopped into a Muggle McDonalds at Mary Katherine's insistence ("But I've never been to one! Please?") for a quick lunch. Lily thought it was all right - the French fries were good - but she doubted she would start eating there regularly. 

Not wanting to find the Leaky Cauldron, the girls ducked behind a bush and quickly Apparated back to Mary Katherine's house. They decided to go find the men - no one had told them where the girls had went probably, and Mary Katherine felt horrible for leaving her fiancé alone with everything to do. They went into the backyard and Lily gasped with delight. A big fountain was stationed in the middle of the yard with crystal clear water pouring out of it, and it was decorated with roses. Right in front of the fountain was no less that one hundred-fifty dark wooden chairs set up, separated by a cream colored carpet, matching the cushions on the chairs, of course. 

They asked Mr. Lupin where his son and friends were, and he directed them to the lake that was near Mary Katherine's house. The girls walked through the woods and emerged on the rocky shore of the lake. At first they saw no one, but then four heads came into their view. "They're swimming," was Mary Katherine's stunned response. "Remus and I are getting married in two hours and a half, and they're all swimming!"

The men had discovered they had company, and swam into the shallower waters. "Come on, girls!" Sirius yelled. "The water feels nice!"

Mary Katherine snorted. "I think not! We've just gotten our hair and makeup done!"

Those in the water exchanged exasperated glances. "Fine," Remus said, getting out and grabbing a towel. "You look beautiful, love," he said, kissing Mary Katherine. They held hands and began walking down the beach. 

"Noo," Gwen said, grabbing Peter on the shoulder and stopping him from following the bride and groom. "They need to have time alone before they have to go change and get married!"

Lily sighed. "They make such a wonderful couple."

After goofing around a bit on the beach, they decided to go back inside and get ready. The wedding was going to start in less than two hours, and all they needed to do was put their robes on and touch up their makeup.

With much excitement Mary Katherine brought out the bridesmaids robes. She handed Lily hers, and Lily removed the plastic. "Oh, M.K., it's beautiful," she breathed. 

"Yes, I thought so too. Well, put them on!"

Lily changed quickly into the robes. They had a square neckline and were satin and billowy. They accented her red hair, and didn't go very well with her eyes - but they looked stunning on Gwen. Gwen and hers were lined with silver, and Hayley's was lined with silver threaded with gold. 

"All right, go put yours on!" Hayley cried, shoving Mary Katherine into the bathroom. "You're going to love these robes! They're simply beautiful!"

Soon Mary Katherine emerged, looking radiant in her white satin robes lined with gold. They helped her with her jewelry and makeup, and soon, they were ready. Hayley rushed downstairs to get Mrs. Wampler, while Lily and Gwen tended to Mary Katherine some more. When she got there, they left the room to give mother and daughter some privacy and went downstairs to say hello to everyone. 

Everything was perfectly assembled. Lily kissed Mr. Wampler, expressed her congratulations, and then said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, who were beaming. Lily felt tears pricking at her eyes - Mr. and Mrs. Lupin had had to live with the fact that their son wouldn't be accepted in society...that he would marry was beyond their wildest dreams. All of their old teachers were present, as well as members of the Lupin and Wampler family that Lily didn't know. 

"Lily!"

She turned and smiled. Elizabeth Watson, closely followed by Minister Watson, was hurrying toward her. They embraced, and talked about her auror training. Minister Watson then smiled kindly at her.

"And how are your special classes going?"

Lily bit her lip. "Well..."

"Come now, I do not want you to be modest. Tell me what you can do now!" 

"Are you sure this is the place?" Elizabeth inquired, looking at her husband with wide eyes. "Can't you speak about business some other time?"

"It's not business!" Minister Watson exclaimed jovially. "Please, go ahead, Lily."

"Er...I can do many simple and some hard spells without saying anything..." she began slowly.

"Really? And what hard spells?"

"I can Transfigure some things, and what I most recently learned to do was - Apparate without my wand."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "Without - I don't even know if Violet ever learned to do that!"

"Well, I do have an excellent teacher," Lily said modestly.

"And who is this?" Minister Watson inquired, exchanging looks with his wife.

"Marie-Claire DuPlessis - she is two or so years older than me, and an excellent auror."

"Would she mind leaving her post? I could hire her and use her as your teacher in the ministry." Lily could tell that Minister Watson was forming ideas already.

"I don't know," she responded truthfully. "You'll have to speak to her."

"Well, come on, George dear!" Elizabeth said after a pause. "We need to go find Gwendolyn! We'll see you after the ceremony, Lily. You look an absolute treat, my dear!" she pulled her husband away and began talking quickly with him. Lily stayed where she was for a moment, looking down at the ground, trying to gather her thoughts. It would be wonderful to have Marie-Claire at the ministry with her, but would she want to do it? Lily was sure she couldn't find a better teacher...

"Lily?" Someone put a soft hand on her back. Lily turned, knowing exactly who it was, and tried to smile, but she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Katharine stood there, with Celeste at her side, looking very kind. "Darling, don't cry." 

Lily hugged her bony, thin frame gently, and almost began sobbing when she caught sight of Katharine's ring finger - only her wedding band was there. Lily had gotten Gwen to return the engagement ring back to James soon after The Incident. 

"It's all right," Katharine soothed, stroking Lily's hair. Lily pulled back and wiped her face, glad her makeup was waterproof.

"Are you-" she began, but stopped, unable to go on.

"Am I upset?" Katharine asked gently. Lily nodded, and Katharine smiled. She held up her left hand, where her engagement diamond was missing, and said, "Lily, I would be upset if I had my ring back." She hugged her again, and whispered, "I'm still here, and I still believe." With that, she went and sat with the Watson's. Lily turned to Celeste and gave her a small smile.

"Hi, Lily."

"Goodness, you've grown," Lily replied, and hugged the fifteen-year-old. "Are you excited about going back to school?"

Celeste shrugged and pushed a lock of black hair behind her ear. "I suppose." Celeste's dark eyes fixed on a spot behind her. "I wish I could see Sirius more," she said softly. When she looked back at Lily, her eyes were filled with tears. "He's always so busy! And whenever I see him, I'm always afraid it'll be the last time, you know? I was so excited to be coming home so we could spend time together, and now he's gone off to be an auror..." 

Lily hugged her again tightly. "Oh, Celeste. Why weren't we ever closer? We lived in the same house and basically had the same parents...let's start over, want to?"

Celeste stood back, her eyes shining. "Really?"

"Really," she said firmly. "We've both lost something huge in our lives...we should stick together."

The look of gratitude on Celeste's face was something Lily would never forget. "Like sisters?"

"Exactly. I shall be your older sister from now on. Now, the ceremony's about to start! Go sit with Katharine!"

Celeste nodded and smiled, and went to go take her seat. 

Lily stood still for a moment, mulling Katharine's words over in her head. It was evident that she still believed Lily and James would end up together, and she was telling Lily to believe it to.

She had a joyful reunion with Ella and Ella offered her advice on what to do with James. Lily had sent her letters describing The Incident, and was desperate for her guardian's advice. 

Soon everyone began to quiet down, and Lily left Ella and walked quickly to the back, passing a tearful Mrs. Wampler who was going to take her seat in the front. She took her small bouquet of flowers and kissed Sirius. 

"You look beautiful," he whispered, and smiled at her. 

Lily sniffled and smiled back. "So do you. You have the ring, don't you?"

Sirius snorted and pulled out a small white pillow with the golden ring on it. "C'mon, Lils, you know you trust me."

"Of course I do," she said, grinning at him. "Oh - I just had an interesting talk with your sister. Sirius, she loves you so much...and she wishes you would spend more time with her!"

Sirius exhaled and looked over to where his sister was seated. "You know I love her! It's just...we graduate the night before she goes off to school...that's no excuse though, is it? Right, I promise to pull her out of McGonagall's class one day and take her somewhere."

"Sirius-"

"Only joking. I'll think of something."

Lily smiled and rolled her eyes, and went to find James, who was standing with Gwen and Peter. Lily hugged her best friend and hugged Peter as well, and then swallowed and took a deep breath. Gathering her courage, she turned around and smiled at James. "You look very-" she stopped, and her breath caught. James was staring down at her, and he looked like he had before, when they were together - that tender look that he had always reserved for her. He tentatively brought his hand up and cupped her left cheek. Then his eyes widened and to her immense disappointment, he quickly dropped his hand and cleared his throat. "Let's get ready, then."

Lily dropped her own eyes and nodded. She turned around and faced forward, trying to ignore the furious whispering going on between Gwen and James. She could tell her best friend was rather...angry.

Music started from the live band and the wedding party got into their positions. The floating fairies lit themselves, as it was growing dark, and the candles flickered off of Remus's happy face. They had planned the wedding date to be as far away from the full moon as possible.

They came to the part in the music that was their cue, and Sirius and Hayley began walking slowly down the isle. When they were about halfway down, Lily and James started, and was followed by Gwen and Peter. The bridal march sounded when they were all in their positions around the altar (Dumbledore was performing the ceremony), and the entire congregation stood. Lily felt a smile start on her face despite her circumstances, and it soon turned into a full-fledged grin when Mary Katherine came into view. She was the epitome of radiance, and when her father leaned in to kiss her, she whispered, "I love you, Daddy," and took Remus's outstretched hand.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. He was beaming at the happy couple, and the golden wand that was sewn onto his robes was glittering. 

"Witches and wizards, we are all gathered here today to join Mary Katherine Wampler and Remus John Lupin in holy matrimony..."

Finally, it was time for the vows.

"Mary Katherine, do you take this man, Remus John Lupin, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she replied confidently. 

For a moment, nothing happened. Lily's eyes widened and she prodded Hayley in the back, who in turn gasped and pulled out the white pillow with the gold wedding band on it. The crowd chuckled, and Hayley smiled good-naturedly. She stepped forward and held the pillow out to Mary Katherine, who took her wand out of her pocket and said, "Adorus Totalus!" while tapping the ring. It emitted a golden light and flew into the air, and then stopped and hovered in front of Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled and turned to Remus.

"And do you, Remus, take this woman, Mary Katherine Wampler, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he replied just as confidently, and he turned to Sirius on his left, who had the pillow ready. His back was turned to her, but Lily knew he had done the same thing, because soon, the wedding band emitted a golden light and floated to Dumbledore.

"Ius Coniubium!" Dumbledore cried, and the wedding bands molded together as one and then sprang apart, and slid onto Mary Katherine and Remus's fingers.

"Now, with the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce thee, Mary Katherine and Remus John, man and wife!" He then turned and smiled widely at Remus. "You may now kiss the bride." The two leaned in for a tender kiss.

"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Mary Katherine and Remus Lupin!" Dumbledore raised his arms and everyone stood and cheered. Lily felt happy tears leaking out of her eyes. At least her friends were happy, even if she wasn't. The band struck up a lively tune, and Lily and James followed Hayley and Sirius, who in turn followed the newlyweds. 

Everyone hugged at least twice, and then they all stood in a line to greet the guests. After that, while the reception was beginning, they took wedding photos. By the time those were finished, Lily was seeing little white flashes everywhere. Luckily they disappeared after she blinked a few times. 

They processed into the huge dancing tent where Remus and Mary Katherine would have their first dance as a married couple. The band began to play a waltz, and as it was custom, after a few moments of solitary dancing, Gwen and Peter, Haley and Sirius, and Lily and James took to the floor.

Lily adverted her eyes as soon as they began dancing lightly, but soon she found her eyes traveling unwillingly up into his chocolate brown eyes.

"I'm remembering," he said softly, never breaking eye contact.

"About?" she whispered, her voice shaking. Oh, it was absolute heaven to be so near him...

"About our first dance," he smiled slightly. "We were both eleven, at the Ministry Ball before our first year. Do you remember?"

Lily swallowed hard and said, "Yes," almost inaudibly. Was it just her, or were the people around them starting to melt away? And why couldn't she feel the floor anymore? But try as she did, Lily couldn't move her green orbs from his brown ones to check.

James turned serious. "Lily, can I tell you something?"

Lily felt the world come back around her. The dance had ended and everyone was applauding. Soon the band began playing again, an old wizard song that everyone knew, but she and James stood still. 

"When you told me during that mine exercise...you said 'I hear making assumptions that aren't true and are in fact very far from what really happened makes one tired too.'" He smiled at her. "That has stayed with me, you know."

Lily blushed deeply. She couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "I'm sorry - my temper ran away with me."

"So did mine, but not only that day - on your birthday, too."

Lily closed her eyes, trying to fight away memories of that day.

"I acted very rashly...I should have stopped and asked what had happened. But when I saw you-" his voice broke, and he paused. "When I saw you with him, a million different things rushed through my head. And I thought the worse...but since then, I've allowed Sirius to tell me what information he got from Gwen...let's get out of this tent, okay?"

Lily could only nod, and they were halfway down the path that led to the lake before he spoke again.

"And it seems like what I assumed was wrong. Please - tell me."

Lily looked up at him with wide eyes. "You - you want me to tell you what happened?"

James nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground. 

"Well," she began slowly, looking straight ahead, "Marie-Claire left us very suddenly-"

"That's because I told her to," he interrupted.

Lily felt her face heat up, and she was glad it was dark. "And then Chase turned to me, told me he was in love with me, and kissed me. And then you came."

"Yes, but why were you so happy?" he asked confusedly. "That's what stumped me."

"Because I felt nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Lily cried. "And...Well, when I - or, when I used to - kiss you, it was like...like flying, or-or something like that! It's like the world just melts away, and it's just me and you," she finished softly. "I can't really explain it."

"It's been absolute torture for me, not being able to be with you." 

"I - I've missed you too," Lily breathed, looking up into his eyes.

"But I never stopped loving you," James said, leaning down.

Lily smiled slowly. "Me either," she whispered, and they kissed. It started slowly, but soon blew into the most passion-filled kiss they had ever experienced, full of relief, hurt, longing...

A piercing scream made them jump apart. Loud noises were coming from the reception area. "Stay here, Lily!" James instructed, and ran up the path to see what was happening. 

Lily snorted. "Yeah, right," she muttered, and took off after him. The site that met them was horrifying. People dressed in black robes were destroying everything, setting fire to the tents and terrorizing the people inside. "Oh, God," Lily breathed. "Are those-"

"Death Eaters, Lily! Come on!" James whipped out his wand and sprinted to the tents. He immediately began firing curses at the Death Eaters. 

Lily suddenly had a horrible thought: were the Death Eaters here to find her? Without trying to harness her powers, she followed at a sprint and looked around wildly. She spotted Gwen, who was over on the left side of the tent, being surrounded by three Death Eaters with their wands trained on her. Lily wondered why she wasn't fighting back, when she remembered: Gwen had tossed her wand on the bed that afternoon and claimed she wouldn't need it. 

"Stupefy!" Lily yelled without thinking twice. Her magic, which was very excited, shot out and Stunned the man closest to Gwen. Lily wondered if she had done too much damage, for blood had begun to come out from the wound in the Death Eater's head. His companions spun around, and when they saw Lily, they immediately ran forward. 

She had been right. They were after her.

Soon more Death Eaters joined them, and she was surrounded. They all had their wands trained on her, and Lily did the first thing that came to mind: she threw her wand with all her might to Gwen, and pointed at a man in front of her. "Stupefy!" she cried, and a blue jet shot from her finger and hit the man square on the chest.

She had done wandless magic.

Soon the rest of the Death Eaters were backing away, all except one, who took down his hood. She recognized the pale hair and skin immediately.

"You idiots! She is only one girl! Seize her! The protective shield is up!"

Sure enough, the few people who had stayed outside to fight - Minister Watson, Elizabeth, Remus, Mary Katherine, their parents, Gwen, Sirius, James, Peter - they were all firing at the Death Eaters, but the clear shield merely absorbed the curses. 

Lily thought quickly. Lucius Malfoy was inches from her- and the shield. She kicked him with all her might, hitting him on the shoulder and knocking him off his feet. He crashed into the barrier, breaking it. A full-blown battle ensued then. Lily could see hardly anything for all the spells shooting around, but Stunned as many Death Eaters as she could. Many Apparated away, including Lucius. When reinforcements from the Auror Department at the Ministry arrived, the remaining conscious Death Eaters left quickly. 

Lily leaned over, putting her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Her magic was still fired up, and she was having trouble calming it down. 

Suddenly, Gwen came up and hugged her tightly. "You saved my life!" she sobbed, "and I could have saved yours, but I couldn't get your wand to work!" She handed Lily the polished stick of wood reverently. "If I hadn't been so stupid this afternoon-"

"Lily! Are you alright?!" Sirius demanded, hugging her also. "I swore I wouldn't let you out of my sight...I guess I didn't do a very good job...but I was escorting everyone inside."

"How is Celeste?"

"Both she and Katharine are fine-"

Lily felt two hands suddenly grab her from behind and spin her around. It was James. She flung her arms around him tightly. "Lily, you were so brave," he was whispering into her ear. "Not many people can think like that under pressure - God, I love you!"

Her heart soared, and she kissed him hard. "I love you too, James Potter." 

They stayed in each other's embrace for few seconds later, when suddenly-

"Where's Mary Katherine?" Remus cried, looking around wildly.

Her parent's looked at him strangely. "I thought she was inside-" Mr. Wampler said slowly. Everyone turned to Sirius, who was as pale as a sheet.

"No-no, I never took her inside-"

An auror came up to them importantly. "Is anyone missing that you know of?"

"My wife, yes!" Remus cried hysterically. 

"Come on, everyone, let's go look," Hayley said, and Lily could tell she was on the verge of panic.

They all split up immediately and yelled for her. The aurors were taking the captured Death Eater's back to the Ministry, and one of the aurors was talking with the Minister. 

"Lily!" Minister Watson yelled, and beckoned her over. Lily came over slowly, wanting to go and look for her friend. 

"Yes?"

"Lily, this is the head of the Auror Department, Jo Krespin. Jo, this is Lily Evans, one of your aurors-in-training and the Adviser - she's the one I was telling you about, remember?"

Jo was a tall black woman, who nodded and extended her hand. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to have you as an auror," she said sincerely. "And the Minister was just telling me about your accomplishments - very impressive."

Lily shifted and looked over her shoulder. "Thank you."

"I found her! She's over here! AAAAAAAAAAH!" 

Someone yelled loudly. Lily glanced at Jo, and they both took off at a run towards the side of the house where the shed was. 

About twenty voices yelled, "Stupefy!" as a stray Death Eater dressed in black ran out of the shed. Sirius, however, was the one who shouted, and he didn't move. He was standing in the doorway of the shed, staring into it, transfixed.

Her heart pounding, Lily ran up to him first. "Sirius, move-" 

He moved aside, he mouth open. Mary Katherine was lying on the floor in all her wedding finery, but was motionless. Lily fell to her knees next to her and was soon followed by Remus, Gwen, Hayley, James, and most everyone else who could fit. For a moment, no one moved, until Professor Dumbledore stepped forward, knelt, and felt her pulse. He bowed his head. 

"Albus?" Professor McGonagall whispered.

Dumbledore raised his head and looked at Remus. "I'm so very sorry."

What little blood was in his face drained. Mrs. Wampler flung herself on the ground, sobbing hysterically, and Mr. Wampler followed. Remus had the most anguished expression on his face that Lily wouldn't ever forget.

And it was all her fault.

~*~*~*~*

Lily spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron without anyone knowing and spent Sunday by herself. She mourned for her friend, and spent a long time in deep thought. Finally she Apparated back to the auror-training camp (without her wand - she didn't know where it was, but what did it matter?) and trudged in a sort of daze up to her room. Gwen was there, staring at a picture of her, Lily, and Mary Katherine at graduation and sniffling slightly. She put it down and looked at her hands. 

"The funeral's next Sunday," she said quietly.

Lily nodded, her throat blocked. 

"Lily," Gwen began, turning around to face her, "you know no one blames you."

She said nothing. She just stared out the window.

"Let's take a walk, okay?"

Lily nodded and they both walked slowly along one of the paths. At one point, Lily sat down and began to cry, tears pouring down her cheeks. Gwen hugged her tightly, and then they went back to the dorms. Neither of them said a word the entire time. Nothing seemed good enough to say, or appropriate, and nothing really was needed.

~*~*~*~*

The following week they started their final exams, which would determine whether they would become an auror or not. By Friday they had completed two of their three exams - in Agent Nelson's class, they did a sort of obstacle course by themselves and in teams, which involved swimming, a mine exercise, and running. In Agent Renny's class they performed the three Unforgivable Curses - the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Imperius Curse - on a spider for the first part of the test. For the second part, Agent Renny paired them up and they fought using simple hexes (Lily didn't participate, instead, she hexed a tree and got to exempt). The following Monday and Tuesday would be Agent Union's exam, and then they would graduate on Wednesday, August thirty-first. There wasn't to be an exam in Marie-Claire's class, that goodness, Lily thought.

On Saturday James, Lily, Sirius, and Gwen dressed in their black robes and went out to the Wampler's graveyard to bury Mary Katherine. Lily was silent the whole time, and couldn't look at Remus, the Lupin's, or the Wampler's. The second the service was over, she Apparated back to camp.

Monday was the first day of Agent Union's exam: a fighting tournament. Lily went at it with all she had, not really knowing what she was doing, beating men and women alike, and made it into the finals. She beat Agent Forte - who was a very big man - in seconds on Tuesday. 

On Wednesday morning, Lily smiled her first smile when Sirius paraded into their room with hot green hair, polka dotted skin, and a ballerina tutu in an attempt to cheer her up. He performed a dance, and then tried to get his wand back from James to change himself back, but James took off and Sirius chased him all around camp. Finally Lily, gasping with laughter, pointed her wand at him and yelled, "Finite Incantatem!" Sirius was knocked off his feet by the force of the spell, which everyone thought was very funny.

She and Gwen got into their Hogwarts graduation robes in good spirits and looked around the room that had been their home for three months. They grabbed their suitcases and shut the door after them, smiling widely.

Lily had made up with Chase the week before. He had approached her and told her that he wanted to at least be her friend if he couldn't be her lover. He understood that she didn't love him, and he was happy (or so he said) that Lily was happy. James also, and rather reluctantly, forgave Chase, and they were basically back to normal.

They put their baggage outside the girls' dorms and went to talk to those who had come to watch them graduate. All of the people who had been at the wedding - and funeral - were there, except Remus. His parents told them he was taking some time alone.

Lily finally got the courage to ask them what had been bothering her. She went up to Mrs. Lupin, who was adjusting the lace on her sleeve, and said, "Mrs. Lupin?"

"Hello, Lily," Mrs. Lupin said, giving her a small smile.

"I - I was wondering, if you by any chance know...I know it was my fault the Death Eaters came," she said recklessly, "and I want know if Remus hates me. I mean, I would definitely hate me if I ruined my wedding and caused the death of my new spouse-" she knew she was rambling about nothing, and was glad when Mr. Lupin (who was no longer the Assistant Minister of Magic) cut her off.

"Lily, no one blames you for anything. We are most grateful to have you, as a matter of fact, and - who knows, perhaps this would have happened anyway."

Lily smiled and got up. She doubted that, but it was nice of him to try and cheer her up.

The ceremony wasn't as formal as it had been at Hogwarts, but Lily still felt that wonderful feeling that comes with finishing something for good. She was awarded her diploma, and they all cheered when they were all finished. Marie-Claire hugged her tightly and told her that she was looking into working for the Ministry. 

"That's wonderful!"

"Well, yoo cannot expect me to stay 'ere for ze rest of my life, now can yoo?"

"Lilee!" Ella came up and embraced her. "Yoo were so wonderful! We are going to go to ze Watson's for a party - oh, excuse me, I did not see yoo, Marie-Claire!" 

They started talking rapidly in French, so Lily took her leave and went to find James. He swept her up in a hug. "Ugh, can you believe it, Lils? We're finished!"

"I know!" she laughed, and he put back on the ground. 

"Ready, you lot?" Gwen called, standing with Sirius and Celeste. "We've got to Apparate back, but Celeste is using this Portkey," she held up a used Band-Aid. Lily wrinkled her nose, but when back. 

"Lily, can I see you Apparate without using your wand?" Celeste asked eagerly. Lily smiled. "Sure. When does that thing leave?"

"Erm, in about thirty seconds," Gwen said, checking her wand. 

"Well, in that case-" Lily began. She winked at Celeste and was gone a second later.

She arrived on the sidewalk in front of the Watson's home. You couldn't Apparate inside the property; of course, it was much too dangerous for the Minister, so you ended up on the sidewalk. Seconds later, Celeste appeared in front of her. Her feet slammed on the walk hard and she felt over backwards. Lily caught her, and Celeste turned, her face shining. 

"That was really neat!" she exclaimed. "Can you-"

"That's enough, Celeste," Sirius said mock-seriously. "We're going inside." And then, before Celeste could do anything, Sirius picked his little sister up easily and carried her up to the Watson's house. The guards didn't stop him - they knew who he was, of course. Celeste was screaming and laughing at the same time, and Lily sighed happily. 

She felt rather then saw James. "It's so good he's paying attention to her," he murmured.

"Yeah," she agreed. She looked up at the huge mansion. 

"I wonder when you were here last?" Gwen mused, appearing next to her. 

"That's what I was just thinking about. And I think it was Christmas in our second year." They walked through the gates, followed closely by the parents, and walked up the stairs. "D'you still have Mood Walls?"

"Yes! If I'm not mistaken, they should still be hot yellow - excited - which is what I was before we went to camp."

They went into the gardens in the back of the house where refreshments were set up, and Lily bounced from group to group, talking to everyone. Soon, though, she and the rest started to get bored, and Hayley suggested they go play Quidditch. Everyone agreed on that, but they couldn't decide who would play what positions, so it was turned into sort of an impromptu game of scoring goals without caring what team you were on.

"Miss Gwendolyn, your mother has sent me to tell you dinner is served." A familiar, dry voice said - it was the butler, Giles. 

"You still have him?" Lily whispered to Gwen as they stashed their brooms.

Gwen snorted. "Of course. Mum loves him! The day we get rid of Giles will be the day he dies."

They walked into the "small" dining room, and all took their places around the table. They had Italian food, and it was all very good. Everyone was chatting happily, and Lily wished Remus were there.

A tinkling came from her right - James was tapping on his glass and clearing his throat, his eyes sparkling like mad. Gradually everyone hushed and looked at him expectantly. He stood and began.

"I met the woman I would marry when I was seven or eight, in a dream."

Lily's heart stopped. Where was this going?

"I never once saw her face, but in that one night, I felt more content when I was with my dream girl. I prayed and prayed for the next two or three years that I would have that dream again, but it never did come. I had given up hope by the time I was ten and eleven, until one day, in Diagon Alley, I accidentally knocked into someone, and felt complete again." 

He finally looked down at Lily, whose smile was growing slowly, and heart was beating rather fast.

"When I came home, I repeated that name to myself until I could say it in my sleep, and vowed not to let that little red head out of my sight at the approaching Ministry Ball. 

"The ball came and went, and by the time it was over, I was convinced I was in love. The trouble was, I wasn't sure if the little girl returned my affections." Everyone chuckled here. "But finally, I was pretty sure when she kissed my cheek in second year at the Christmas party. But then, things got bad," his demeanor became darker. "And I was pretty sure she hated me when she...well, told me so."

Lily looked down at her lap with a sad smile. Then she looked around the table - Elizabeth, Ella, and Katherine were all getting teary-eyed.

"So I survived third, fourth, fifth, and sixth year without her, until that fateful day Gwen almost killed her on the Hogwarts Express and she re-entered our lives. After a very rocky first few months, when I declared my love for her and she shied away, we got together for the first time."

He turned to Lily and raised her chin to his eyes. Her green ones were sparkling with tears. "Lily, we were interrupted once - lets make sure it never happens again."

And with that, he dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hand. In a fluid motion, everyone at the table stood so they could have a better view. Tears began pouring out of Lily's eyes as he opened the ring box that he had thrown a month ago at her feet, took out the glittering diamond, and slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly.

"Lily Carolyn Evans, marry me, my dream girl, and let us never be apart," he whispered.

She sniffled and threw her arms around him. "Of course I will," she whispered back, and they kissed lovingly as everyone applauded.

~*~*~*~*

A/N: Looong chapter, I know. But please remember what's written in the A/N above, okay? And try not to flame me too badly! 


	18. If That's What It Takes

A/N: Right – this chapter is action-packed, seriously. Also, I'm delighted that you all like me enough not to flame me *grins* I haven't gotten a single one. Oh, also – I started a Yahoo Group! Want to get to know me (I don't bite, I swear), the beta's, and all my *ahem* interesting friends? We'd love to have you (plus there are a lot of perks – getting to read the chapters before they're posted and, of course, cookies galore (excerpts taken from the coming chapter – they're like previews)? Here's the URL! 

groups.yahoo.com/group/TheStoryofLily

Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you there J!

The Story of Lily

Chapter 18: If That's What It Takes

_"_Through the wind and the rain, through the smoke and the fire  
When the fear rises up, when the wave's ever higher  
I will lay down my heart, my body, my soul  
Every second I live, that's the promise I make__

_Baby, that's what I'll give, if that's what it takes."_

_~Celine Dion's "If That's What It Takes"_

~*~*~*~*This Starts Part Three of The Story of Lily~*~*~*~* 

Lily glanced at Minister Watson. He was leaning casually against a very large tree in a park near Buckingham Palace in London. Apparently, this tree worked like the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten at Kings' Cross Station – you would fall into it and suddenly be in front of the Ministry of Magic. Minister Watson gave Lily a meaningful look and she leaned against the tree. Gwen, Sirius, and James, who had all been to the Ministry before and knew how to get there, were waiting for them on the other side. Minister Watson had volunteered to show Lily how to enter it. 

Soon, she felt the cool bark of the tree give way, and she was standing in front of a huge white building: the Ministry of Magic. There were guards stationed at the door and a grassy park in front. 

Minister Watson motioned to Lily and they walked to Gwen, James, and Sirius. Gwen led the way up the white marble stairs and to the door. The guard looked at her distastefully.

"Yes?"

"We're new Aurors, come to sign up," Gwen said, forcing a smile. 

"Do you have identification?" the guard sneered.

Minister Watson walked around to the front. The guards gasped and removed their navy blue pointed hats in respect. "This is my daughter Gwendolyn and Sirius Black, son of the late Orion Black," the guards' eyes widened, "this is James Potter, son of the late Harry Potter," the guards' eyes widened further, if it was possible, "and finally-" he pulled Lily up to stand in front of him, "you had better get used to seeing this one. Might I present Lily Evans, niece of Violet Wellington-Black, and the Adviser?"

This time, simultaneously, the guards' mouths dropped and they bowed their heads to Lily, which made her blush slightly and fiddle with the diamond ring on her finger.   

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the head guard said, and bowed them through the glass doors, which showed a very large, circular room. Spaced around the huge room were doors, at least two hundred in all. In the middle was a circular desk, where five receptionists sat, each scribbling busily or organizing files. There wasn't anyone else in the room.

Minister Watson headed straight forward to a very, very large door. Now that Lily noticed it, all of the doors were varied sizes, but none quite as large as the one they were approaching.  
Gwen noticed her looking and whispered, "The doors symbolize how large the departments are."

Lily spotted a very small door that he would have had to crawl in order to get through it. "Which one is that?" she whispered back. 

Gwen smiled. "You remember Arthur Weasley?"

Lily nodded. "Yes – he and Molly Weasley were Head boy and girl our first year. How many children do they have, now?"

"Three, and she's pregnant again, but that's not important," Gwen said impatiently. "Dad granted him permission to start an office – the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

They reached the great door that had a gold plaque that read, "The Auror Department" and Lily noticed a small black box next to it. Minister Watson stuck his wand into the bottom where there was a hole. Soon, the box flashed silver and a voice that sounded nothing like the Muggle mechanical voices said, "George Philip Watson, Most Esteemed Minister of Magic. Access granted."  
The door slid open. Minister Watson turned and said, "Just put your wand tip in – most of you know the drill - and it reviews your wands history, therefore knowing what your intentions are, et cetera." He stepped through the doorway and it immediately closed behind him.  
Gwen stepped up importantly and the box flashed purple. "Gwendolyn Elizabeth Watson, Daughter of the Most Esteemed Minister of Magic and Newly-Made Auror. Access granted." The door opened and Gwen stepped inside. Lily decided she would have to be careful to get her whole self inside – that door shut quickly. 

She walked up and put her wand into the hole. It took a moment before flashing silver like it had for Minister Watson. "Her Excellency Lily Carolyn Evans, Adviser and Newly-Made Auror," it said excitedly. "Of course access is granted!" 

Lily rolled her eyes and stepped quickly through the open doorway, and found herself in a sort of lobby, not unlike one you'd see in a dentist's office, with a secretary who didn't look up when she entered. There were two doors behind her large desk.

"Lily, you might want to-"

"Oof!" Lily gasped, turning around to glare at Sirius, who had just knocked into her.

"-move," Gwen finished helplessly. 

"That door goes fast!" Sirius exclaimed, looking over his shoulder and frowning at it.

Lily sat down next to Gwen on the hard sofa, and was soon followed by Sirius. James came bursting through the door soon after, and they all stood. 

"Well, I think you can make it from here," Minister Watson said, beaming around at them all. "I am very proud of you – oh, and Lily, I would like to meet with you once this is over – to get to my office, simply go back out here and tell one of the secretaries you're meeting with me, and they'll know, and will tell you to what to do. See you all soon, hopefully," he waved and left the room.

No sooner had they all sat down again did the secretary exclaim, "Potter, Black, Watson, and Evans! You may see Ms. Krespin now."

The four exchanged looks and got up again. They went through the door that the secretary pointed sternly to, on the left, and found themselves in a very orderly (and big) office. Smiling behind the large wooden desk was Ms. Krespin – Jo – the head of the Auror Department. 

"Hello, please, come in," she smiled, and pointed at the four chairs in front of her desk. "Take a seat. This will be your orientation since you had to miss the real one for-" she glanced at a piece of paper "-personal reasons. I trust everything is alright?"

Lily closed her eyes. The day of the orientation – the Friday after they had graduated – had been dreadful. No one had been able to find Remus, and everyone feared he had committed suicide or gone into hiding – only to get an owl a few hours later saying he had taken a trip to the sea for a short vacation. They all had a laugh afterwards, but still felt very uneasy. 

"Yes," Gwen said finally.

"Good. You may call me Jo – I like to be on a first name basis with my Aurors. I know your real and agent names, but you must be careful to only call each other your agent names on the field, all right? Now, here are your folders. We have analyzed your work at the training camp, and have decided if you are best as a field, strategic, or desk Auror."  

She handed Lily a manila folder with "Evans, Lily" written in bold black letters across the top. She looked to see what the others were doing – they had begun to cautiously open the folders. Lily copied them, and read the first paper she saw – it told her that she would be a "special" field Auror.

"I'm a field Auror," Gwen said finally, scanning her paper.

"Me too," James said.

"So'm I," Sirius chimed in.

They all turned to look at Lily. "Well?"

"I'm a – a "special" field Auror," she turned her questioning gaze on Jo. 

Jo cleared her throat. "It is because much of your time will be spent here with the Minister," she clarified. "And when you do go out – you will be treated… slightly differently."

Lily frowned. "How so?"

"Well, it is obvious that you can do things others can't," Jo began. 

"And?" Lily prompted, a hint of anxiety in her tone.

The head Auror sighed. "Lily, you are – or soon will be – a very important addition to not only the Auror Department, but the entire Ministry of Magic. Through you, we will be able to find out much information and do many good things, and therefore – well, we want to make sure you do not fall into any danger-"

Lily made a noise of objection before she could stop herself. Did they not think she could take care of herself?

Jo fixed her with a stern gaze, and Lily held her tongue. "The Ministry, the Minister, and countless others would be infuriated if something were to happen to you. You must keep in mind that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named still has the Staff, and an anecdote has yet to be found."

The redhead looked down at her lap. She knew it was true, of course, but still-

"I promise, you will have your share of fights," Jo continued, "just as long as we believe there is no threat to your safety-"

This time, Lily did cry out. "No fights are going to be safe! Honestly! You might as well stick me in a plastic bubble!"

She turned to her friends, expecting to have them support her, but instead, Gwen was staring straight ahead, unwilling to meet her eyes; James was nodding vehemently in agreement, and to her immense outrage, the next thing Sirius said was, "Can we have that arranged?"

"Sirius!"

He looked at her, his face openly concerned. "Seriously, Lils, and we can roll you about-"

"Sirius!"

"Lily, you're being quite selfish!" Jo said, looking at her sternly. "It isn't that we don't think you can't defend yourself, but if the Dark Lord were to have the Staff or – or someone sneaked up on you unawares – well-" she trailed off, trying to find words to properly explain her feelings.

"What's she's saying, Lily," Gwen said in her blunt way, "is you're no use to us dead."

Lily sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine," she said, staring sulkily ahead. "Is that all?" She knew she was acting very immaturely, but at the moment, she really didn't give a damn.

"No," Jo said coolly, ignoring her obvious wish to leave, "I now need to explain a few things.

"First of all, these are new little devices called Summoners." She held up a small, round cylinder. "You will each get one, and you must keep it with you at all times. I do not care where, but you always must keep it. Now, if it looks and sounds like this-" she pressed a small button, making the Summoner flash red and make a very fast shrill noise, "you are to Apparate here immediately without hesitating. If it is more sedate and the color an orange, that means to come here for a meeting of some sort. Now, inside the Auror offices, there is a safe-Apparition chamber. It is located down the hall, second door on the right. Do you have any questions? No? Well, then, now I shall assign you each to a Division. There are three Divisions that make up the Auror Department and three Division Heads. You will always be in the Division I assign you to, and the highest rank within those is Division Head, which is elected whenever the current division head retires or is unable to work. My position is the highest, and when it is available, the three Division Heads vote for one of themselves and that one becomes the Head of the Auror Department. Any questions now?"

"Yes, what are the requirements to become a Division Head?" James asked with interest.

"What we like in a Division Head is courage, ability to plan strategically – someone who can handle the responsibility of being the head of ten or so people. The Division Head's duties are to asses his or her Aurors and determine which will be best to successfully do a mission, things like that. Sadly, the most Aurors we have in a Division currently is only eleven, in Division Three, and that's counting those who just joined." Jo smiled grimly. "But anyway…" she pulled a sheet of paper out of her desk and scanned it. "Evans, you are in Division Two, Black - Division Two, Potter - Division Three, and Watson - Division One. The Head of Division One is Arabella Figg, Division Two is Mundungus Fletcher, and Division Three is Reid McKinnon.

"Got that, everyone? Very good, you'll need to come in for your first meeting with your Division on Monday. Here are your Summoners," she handed them each one of the little devices, "and good day to you all. Oh, and Evans, do not forget your meeting with the Minister," Jo nodded to them and turned back to her work. 

The four friends filed out quietly and exited the office. Once they were outside the Auror Department door did anyone speak. "I've got to go," Lily said, "and talk to your father before I forget what I want to say."

"Lily-"

"No," Lily cut James off quickly. "I appreciate you worrying for me, but honestly!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I'm eighteen and perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. I'll see you all on Monday if not sooner."

And with that, she marched towards the little island in the middle.   
"Yes, can I help you?" one secretary asked.

"Ooh, Anne, don't be silly!" one secretary (a new edition, Lily was sure – she didn't remember the bright pink nails) exclaimed, giggling. "This is the Adviser! How lovely to meet you!"

"We don't know that for sure," the first secretary, Anne, said sternly. "Name, please?"

"Lily Evans," said Lily.

"Yes, of course," the second one said. She held out a pad of parchment and a shockingly yellow quill. "Can I have your autograph? Make it out to Margie Duff, please!" 

Lily hesitated, having never signed an autograph before, and hastily wrote, "To Margie Duff, with love, Lily Evans," and handed it back to Margie. 

"Now, you'll be needing to get to the Minister," Anne said, cutting Margie off, "go around and speak to Lorelei, the other secretary."

"Hello, Miss Evans!" Lorelei said, smiling widely and exposing perfect, white teeth as Lily made her way around the little island desk. "To see the Minister, you'll need to eat this!" 

The redhead took a small pill from her and crunched it up. It tasted sugary – not unlike vanilla icing.

"Next, you need to walk straight into the desk!" she said brightly. "It works in the same way Platform Nine and Three Quarters works! Go ahead!"

Lily sighed, feeling quite fed up with the perfect secretary already, she walked into the desk. It melted away, and she found herself in another waiting room, though this one was much fancier. It was decorated in dark greens with rich mahogany furniture. Yet another secretary looked up from the desk in the corner. 

"Hello, you must be Lily," she said kindly, standing and extending her hand. "I am Olivia Morgan, the Minister's main secretary."

Lily smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you."

"I suppose that both of us shall be seeing much of each other now," said Olivia, seating herself again and looking through a file folder. "Perhaps more than we would like," she smiled in amusement, and Lily wondered briefly what she meant, but she merely nodded. "So, you may call me Olivia. Now, if you will do the wand test-" she gestured to the black box exactly like the one outside the Auror Department.

"All right," Lily said, and made her way to the box. As she waited, she asked Olivia, "Will I have to wait like this all the time?"

"No, it becomes rather fast. For example, all Minister Watson has to do is put his wand in for a second, like me and a few others. Mrs. Watson is one."

Lily nodded, and soon, the box admitted her and the sliding doors opened. She stepped inside and saw that Minister Watson was having a conversation via the fireplace next to his desk. A woman's head – Elizabeth, his wife's – noticed Lily and smiled. "Hello, dear!"

 "Hello, Elizabeth," Lily said timidly, walking forward a few steps.

"Lily! Please, take a seat, I won't be but a moment," Minister Watson said, gesturing to one of the handsome leather chairs in front of his great desk. Lily took one and looked around his office. His desk was neat, and pictures were framed neatly on his walls. Lily recognized several of herself, to her surprise, along with a good amount of Sirius, Celeste, James, Peter, Remus, and, of course, his immediate family. They all waved merrily at her, and she found herself smiling, despite her anger at being a "special" field Auror. She flipped through the file folder some more while she waited, and slipped the Summoner into her robe pocket. 

"Goodbye, Lily," Elizabeth called a few moments later. Lily waved, and Elizabeth disappeared with a pop.

"Thank you for coming," Minister Watson said, wheeling around to face her. "I take it Jo explained your circumstances?"

Lily nodded curtly.

"And I take it you aren't happy," he sighed heavily.

Lily nodded again.

"You must understand – if I could let you be just a normal Auror, I would! But as it stands…Lily, you are much too important to lose. We _need you. You are a valuable asset to me and the Ministry. I just hope one day you understand…" he broke off, looking at her with slight unease._

"I'll try to, Minister," she said, sounding much more assured that she felt.

He looked happy at her answer. "Good, good! That's all I can ask, after all! Now, you know, when the Aurors capture Death Eaters, that's when your job comes in. You will come to the M.L.E.S. questioning room and question the criminal in custody."

Lily stared at him. "Question criminals?" she repeated dubiously.

"Yes," Minister Watson said, looking at her with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Well – no, but, I mean, I haven't really – _used those parts of my abilities. The last time was – a few years ago."_

"And that is why I will hire your Auror tutor, Marie-Claire, to help you in that respect."

Lily bit her tongue. The only person she thought could help her with this aspect of the Advisers powers was…well, an Adviser. But seeing as that was impossible, and Minister Watson needed her so badly, she would discuss this with Marie- Claire and see if they could work something out. She found herself nodding slowly, and the Minister's face broke into a smile – one, she found with slight surprise, was much like his daughter's true smile. 

"Excellent! Now, my dear, I'm afraid I've held you too long," he stood up, beaming, and ushered her out of his office. "I look forward to seeing you on Monday, no sooner!"

"No sooner," she repeated slowly before she could stop herself. "If I get a Summon, I might see you here."

He looked slightly uncomfortable, but quickly nodded and smiled again. "Yes, of course!"

Lily left, feeling miserable. Why'd they give her the post of a field Auror when all she would be doing was sitting at a desk, questioning criminals?

As she walked down the steps, nodding to the guards, a vision suddenly popped into her head: Lily, all of her eighteen years, sitting opposite a sneering, fully-grown male Death Eater, trying to get him to cooperate so she could get inside his mind. She snorted outright. As if that would ever happen! They wouldn't do what she said in a million years! For Gwen, maybe, but never for Lily, who hadn't ever been outgoing. Well, except when she got mad, but that really only happened when she fought! 

_And that's what I should be doing! She thought passionately, walking straight through the tree-barrier and out into the London park. Breaking more wizard laws than she could count, she looked around halfheartedly, and Disapparated with a pop._

She appeared out in front of the Wellington Mansion, and before she went inside, something made her stop and just look at it. Staring up at the white pillars, yellow stucco walls, and verandas, she felt a wave of emotion hit her. Slowly she raised her left hand and was momentarily blinded by the light reflecting off her diamond engagement ring. How long would she stay in this house? It was yet another thing she and James had to talk about. Lily knew she would be moving into the Potter mansion in Godric's Hollow once they were married, because it had been in their family for years. But somehow, she couldn't see herself being happy in any other room but her mother's. With the colors she had come to love, the bed she adored for its lifelike lilies…

She raised her hand to her pounding head, and walked inside. When had it become so hard to like life? When had it hit her that her years with Violet – her three, golden years – would never happen again? That with the threat of Voldemort, no one could be that happy?

Lily looked around the foyer, taking in all the pictures on the walls. She sank to the ground unceremoniously and focused on one picture in particular, going up the stairs. It featured a small, thin redhead beaming in the prettiest thing she had ever worn, and occasionally looking with adoration upon the blonde woman next to her, dressed equally as beautifully.

Lily heaved a great sigh and was content to sit there, staring at the pictures. That was how Ella found her some time later, and scolded her roundly for not letting anyone know she was home. Lily let Ella drag her into the kitchen and fix her something to eat. It wasn't until Ella put down Lily's favorite dish – fettuccini alfredo – in front of her did she realize Lily had neither spoken nor made any sign that she had heard anything Ella had said.

"Lilee, yoo are not 'aving second thoughts?" Ella cried, feeling her forehead.

This snapped Lily back to life, and she pulled away. "No! Good heavens, no! No, no, no! I'm past the second doubts forever, believe me."

"Zen whatever eez wrong?" Ella asked, now pressing her cheek to Lily's forehead.

Lily sighed. Then, seconds later, she found herself spilling out everything that was wrong to the Frenchwoman, from her worries about the house to her feelings of inadequacy, and felt oddly better once she was finished. Ella was silent for a moment, thoughtfully twirling a piece of brown hair around her finger.

"Weel, about ze 'ouse, zat eez easy – just talk to James about eet. And about yoor job as an Auror…" she trailed off, and then fixed Lily with a knowing stare. "Lilee, when I came to England to find work as a wedding designer, and found myself a maid in a big 'ouse…zat was not what I wanted to do! I wanted to do what I was born to do, what I loved…but I knew, for ze time being, I could not. So, I 'eld my 'ead high, and I did what I was asked, and never complained. And look what I do now! I am ze guardian of a beautiful young lady, who I love as eef she were my own, I 'ave a shop where I can design whenever I want, and a good 'ome. Lilee, yoo will one day learn to like yoor job, learn to like what life throws at yoo, and find zat you are ze 'appiest person on earth, just accepting things. And once yoo accept, yoo may begin to conquer and rise above, just as I deed. Remember zat, mon petite. Remember zat."

~*~*~*~*

The next day found Lily in front of James's house. For some reason, her stomach was flipping. James would understand, wouldn't he? That the only bed she could sleep in for the rest of her life was her mothers? After all, she was leaving her home…he would understand. He had to.

She gathered her courage and knocked quickly before she got scared. The butler opened the door, smiled, and escorted her inside.

"Master James is up stairs," he said, bowing courteously and gesturing up the sweeping staircase. It suddenly hit her – so forcefully she stumbled – that one day, this house would…would be _hers._

Lily walked a bit slower up the stairs, really looking at everything, but soon found herself in front of James's closed door. She knocked quietly. 

A smile broke onto his handsome face when he saw her. "Lils!" he exclaimed, grabbing her waist and pulling her inside. "I was just thinking about you!"

She forced a smile. "Really?"

"Yeah," the smile faded. "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth, took a deep breath – but before she could say anything, her eyes rested on the pictures she had given him last Christmas. It was hanging above his _bed. She swallowed, and forced herself to look into his concerned face._

"Well…James, I don't know how to say this…" she noticed the spasm of fear that flitted across his face, and her emerald eyes widened. "No! No, I still love you, I still want to marry you!"

He relaxed and grinned. "Then what can possibly be wrong?"

"Well – Idon'twanttosleepinyourbed," she said quickly, and blushed slightly.

James quirked an amused eyebrow and looked at his bed. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Oh – nothing! Nothing, it's a – a very nice bed, but…well…it's not _mine."_

"It isn't," he agreed, a mischievous smile on his face. "So, what you're basically telling me is, you won't sleep unless you're in your bed?"

He still had that grin that meant he was teasing her. Lily pushed him slightly, a smile on her own face, and said, "Quit, James. I know you know what I mean. That – that bed is all I have left…of her. Of both of them."

"I know, love, I know," James pulled her down on his bed; she leaned her cheek on his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you," she whispered, inhaling his scent and feeling completely at home. 

He tightened his grip on her and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'd do anything for you, you know that."

"Yes, I know. But, James, tell me you didn't agree with Sirius when he wanted to put me in a bubble?"

James sighed deeply. "This is something I've wanted to talk to you about." He moved his chin, and she looked up at him. "You mean more than Gwen, Sirius, and I put together."

She made a noise of protest and sat up. "How can you say that?!"

"It's true," he said flatly. "Your powers surpass ours greatly, and we know that, and everyone else knows that, except you! You need to understand that with Gwen and Sirius and I and everyone else in the wizarding world, we have a chance of winning against Voldemort. But with you – you raise our chances hugely, and we need you, no matter what you do. All right?"

Lily nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Also – I wanted to ask you…you don't still blame yourself for Mary Katherine's death, do you?" James asked gently.

Lily looked down at her lap and said nothing. 

"Lily…it wasn't your fault-"

"Yes it was!" she burst, standing up. "It was my fault! If I hadn't been there – if I hadn't ever been _born none of that would have happened! I have yet to see a purpose for my life, except causing danger to those I love! I mean, what happens if – if we have a child, and because of me, the child dies? I couldn't live with myself!"_

She pressed her hands to her forehead and closed her eyes. James shrugged hopelessly. "Lily, I can't make you see that your life has a purpose. To me, Sirius, Gwen, Mum, Celeste…to us, your life has a great purpose. You're blind to not see that we'd all die for you."

"I know you would," she said finally. "But it's at times like this when I can't see it."

"Come here," he said, holding his arms out to her. She went obligingly. They were silent for a moment, before James said, "Violets? Lilies? Irises? I'd say we're going to have the worst time picking out flowers in the history of wedding planning."

Lily grinned into his shoulder in spite of herself. "I don't care which kind, so long as they're not petunias."

"Deal," James laughed.

~*~*~*~*

"Lils! Come on, why are you just sitting there?"

Lily jumped a foot, spilling tea all over herself, when Gwen's head appeared in the living room fireplace. 

"Gwen, it's half-past ten," she said. "Where are we going?"

"To the Ministry, of course! Hello?"

Lily looked at her blankly, and Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Right, I'm coming over."

Seconds later she strode out of the fireplace, holding up a beeping and flashing device – her Summoner. "Remember these? We're supposed to keep them on at all times?"

Lily slowly slid her hand into her pocket and drew out her own Summoner. It was looking completely normal, not flashing red or anything. Gwen looked at her with wide eyes. 

"You – you just got a dud, nothing more."

Lily shook her head. "I don't think so," she said grimly. "I think they _gave me a dud, and knew it."_

"Oh," Gwen said uncomfortably. "Well, it's for a good reason, I'm sure," she said, her eyes wide. "So then, I'll – er – just go."

"No," Lily said, tying her runners on quickly. "I'm going with you. I'm a field Auror…ugh, how dare they!" without another word, she Disapparated. Ella was out of town for the weekend, and so she didn't have to worry about telling her.  She found herself in the safe chamber seconds later. Aurors were Apparating every few feet, and she narrowly missed being landed on. Three doors led off the chamber – labeled Division One, Division Two, and Division Three. Lily went through the Division Two door to see nine people assembled around a table. They all looked up in surprise, and the man at the head of the table stood. 

"Why, Agent Dahlia, what a pleasant – erm - surprise."

Lily clenched her jaw, and for once, wasn't aware of everyone's eyes on her. "Surprise, is it? So the defective Summoner was given to me on purpose?"

Mundungus Fletcher, the man, looked slightly uncomfortable. "Er – well…"

Lily's eyes flashed, and she conjured a chair out of midair without her wand, her eyes never leaving Mundungus's face. She sat down next to Sirius, who was looking very uncomfortable. 

"I am curious, Agent Dahlia – how did you learn of this?" Mundungus said after a few moments of silence, and took his seat again.

"Gw – Agent Alcina is my best friend, she stopped by."

The Division Head exhaled. "I thought her father would have told her."

"Oh, does everyone know except me?" she said sarcastically. Sirius put a hand on her arm.

"Lily…" he warned.

Lily gave him a contemptuous look. "You knew? And James? Don't you lie to me, Sirius Black."

He held her gaze for a moment, before nodding.

"Right, calm down, please. Agent Dahlia, I would like you to know that it is no problem to me that you are here, and if you would like some field action, which Division Two will be getting plenty of tonight, you'll not tell Jo. She'd blow a gasket." He looked rather amused at that.

Lily looked at the man in a new light. She had won, just like that? Perhaps he wasn't the cold man she had envisioned him to be. He quickly got down to business.

"Right, these are our orders – a group of Death Eaters have captured a Muggle family to torture, just this afternoon, and we are fairly positive they are being held in Malfoy Manor."

A shiver went through the older Aurors in the room. 

"Malfoy – as in Lucius?" one asked sharply.

"The one," Mundungus said grimly. "Group One is staying and watching, Group Three is covering us, and we – we're going in. I'll assign you to groups, and put someone in charge of them – we have ten, so let's split into two groups of three and one of four. There will be one strategic Auror in each. I believe I'm right in saying that no one here is a desk Auror? Right, that's what I thought - Agent Moody, you take the group of four – let's have Agents Sims, Boston, and Hasboro with him." 

Two girls Lily recognized from her year stood next to Agent Moody. Moody was about her height and looked as though he'd been around the block a few times – a lot of scars decorated his dark face, and his hair wasn't exactly neat. Agent Sims joined them – he looked to be a bit older than Lily.  

Mundungus named himself head of another group, and he looked around at the three people left – Lily, Sirius, and another man. 

"Right, God forgive me for this, but Agent Dahlia, I'm putting you in charge of the last group."

Lily masked her surprise, nodded and stood. 

"Right, everyone, we're Apparating to the end of the lane soon after Group Three goes. This isn't a raid; this is a top secret mission, so we _must not be seen. We go in there, get the Muggles, and get out, because it is expected that a large group of Death Eaters are there, or could be called there immediately. Now, you all listen to me. There shouldn't be any secrets between us all."_

No one moved. Mundungus pulled Lily up next to him. "If you didn't know, this is Lily Evans, the Adviser."

A few surprised gasps went through those assembled, but Mundungus stopped them with his hand. "If anything happens to endanger her, _get her out of there. If something happens to her, it'll be my head. You know that the wards prevent anyone from Disapparating and Apparating in the Malfoy premises, so hide her, or something."_

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking," Sirius said, "but if she's in so much danger, why are you making her a group head?"

"Good question," Mundungus said, smiling ironically. "I want her to prove herself, I suppose. But if Lucius has the Staff of Metrusia…I don't want to think about that," he shuddered. "I need to speak to Reid, the head of Division Three. When I come back, we go immediately into the safe chamber and Apparate away, got it?"

They nodded and waited. About fifteen minutes later, Mundungus came back. "Come on," he said, and motioned to them. They all walked tensely into the safe chamber, and at his signal, Disapparated with pops. They appeared in a deserted wheat field next to a dark road. 

"Down, everyone," Mundungus said. "Heads over here!" he exclaimed, and they all faced him on their stomachs. "Do not light your wands until you are positive you cannot be seen. Now, let's have Agent Dahlia's group go in first. We have the most people in Group Three covering them. Then Moody, you're going, and we'll follow. We have a good idea as to where the Muggles are – presumably in the dungeon. In your group, Dahlia, Agent Brodon knows where it is. He's had plenty of experience here."

Agent Brodon, the other member of Lily's group, nodded grimly.

"And everyone knows where to go from there – search the premises, and when you've found the Muggles, contact us via your wands and _leave immediately. I want to ensure the safety of everyone I can." He nodded to them all. "Good luck, and let's go! Dahlia – head to the far left! Moody, to the middle, and I'll stay here on the right! Go!"_

Lily, crouching low, ran straight to the left. When she thought her group was far enough, she stopped suddenly – and a moment later, was face down on the ground, under Sirius. Brodon tripped over Sirius's foot, but managed to fall to the side.

"Off," Lily said, gasping for breath. Sirius heard her whimper and got off heavily.

"Sorry, Lily, but it's hard when you can't see your hand in front of your face," Sirius grumbled.

"Hmm. Well, this is going spectacularly, isn't it?" Lily said, but cut them off before they could answer. "That was rhetorical, by the way. Ugh! How am I ever going to be able to prove myself?"

Sirius put his arm around her. "Lily–"

"They might as well've given me a desk job," she continued miserably. "This'll never, ever work-"

"Lily!" Sirius said sharply, cutting her off. "Shut up," he said more calmly. "We'll be fine. You'll prove yourself, and they'll replace your Summoner with one that works, I swear."

Lily smiled slowly. "Thanks, Sirius; you stopped me from having hysterics."

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "'S what friends are for." He helped her up, and she turned apologetically to Agent Brodon, holding out her hand. "I'm sorry about that."

The older man smiled. "It's all right. We all get like that sometimes."

"You're our strategic Auror, right?" Sirius asked, scanning the field.  

"I am," he confirmed, "and _that is Malfoy Manor."_

Lily followed where his finger was pointing and saw a huge house in the distance. "We're not taking any chances," she commented. 

"That we aren't," Brodon said grimly. "We'd best be heading over there. I'd say keep to the left of this tree." 

"Tree? I don't see a – oomph!" Lily winced as Sirius cried out in pain. "I found the tree," he moaned. 

"Hsssh!" Lily exclaimed sharply. "We don't want to be heard! I assumed we're going around back?"

"That would be our best bet," said Brodon dryly. 

"Right," Lily nodded. "Follow me, and be quiet!" 

She got up, still crouched low, and ran flat out. She looked up to make sure she was heading in the right place, and saw that she was. She halted suddenly where the wheat turned into grass, every muscle tensed. Brodon and Sirius came up next to her. Sirius gave her a strange look, while Brodon jerked them down.

"Are you mad? Standing there in plain view?" he hissed furiously.

"Sorry," Lily muttered, not sorry at all. 

"Why didn't you keep going?" Sirius asked.

"Because, there's an extremely powerful ward up," answered Lily matter-of-factly. "No one can go through it."

Brodon groaned, throwing his hands up. "Then why are we-"

"Except I happen to know the counter-spell," she interrupted smugly. "Just give me a minute, and it'll be down. I'm making it go down for ten seconds, so we'll have to hurry through. Otherwise the other wards, which I'm also temporarily suspending, will go off, announcing our entry. And then we're dead, basically."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "How can you hold so many spells at once?"

"Don't question her," Brodon growled. "Go ahead, Dahlia."

Lily nodded, fished her wand out of her pocket, and pointed it at the invisible ward. She closed her eyes, concentrating thoroughly. She had to break the Alarm Ward – there it went – and next tear a hole in the Barrier Ward, which kept out people on foot as well as people flying and Apparating – done.

"Come on!" she hissed, throwing herself through the hole. Brodon and Sirius followed, and immediately they raced to the house and hid behind a bush. Lily leaned her head against the cool, dark stone, breathing heavily. She wiped sweat from her brows, and opened her mouth, but soon a large hand covered it – Sirius's.

He removed it and put a finger to his lips, and Lily, feeling quite embarrassed she almost forgot to stay silent, got up and took in her surroundings. Brodon pointed to their left and mouthed, "Entrance to the dungeons!"

Lily nodded and got in the front. They crept along behind the bushes, until Lily stopped again, throwing her arms out. "Another Alarm Ward!" she mouthed, and undid it in a few seconds. She motioned to keep going, and would have missed the entrance to the dungeons if Sirius hadn't pulled on her robes, making her stop and turn. Brodon was undoing the spells that charmed ancient wooden doors, on a sort of raised box, open. Black lights were glaring in Lily's head – and the more spells he undid, the more they disappeared. But, as he moved his hand to open it, thinking he had undone all the spells, she jerked his hand away, shaking her head furiously. She threw a stick onto the lock to demonstrate what would have happened – the stick turned to ashes immediately.

Pale as a ghost, Brodon moved back, muttering that those were all the spells that were on the dungeon entrance _last time. Lily took his place, tapping her wand on the ground thoughtfully. She hadn't ever dealt with Dark Magic – how was she supposed to know the counter-spell?_

She decided to try something, and closed her eyes, meditating. She allowed her blue magic to poke the Dark Magic, and see if it could find the counter-spells. 

Seconds later, all the spells were down, and Lily was shaking uncontrollably as she attempted to open the chains – the last barrier to open to doors - manually. Sirius pointed his wand at the chains, whispered, "_Alohomora!" and they sprang apart. Lily gave him a shaky smile, and opened the wood doors. Her senses flared at yet __another Alarm Ward – they really didn't take any chances – and she undid it quickly. _

Then, she noticed the drop. It was straight and dark, and Lily thought she could she water shimmering at the bottom. 

"I'll go first," whispered Brodon. "The water's pretty deep."

"Please be careful," Lily pleaded softly.

He nodded, lowered himself in, and let go. Seconds later, there was a great splash of water, and Brodon's terrified yells as he desperately tried to Stun and kill something. Lily lit her wand on a horrible sight – no less than ten alligators were circling him. Frantically Sirius and Lily began Stunning the alligators, and soon, their racket attracted someone's attention. She heard hurried footsteps, and quickly she and Sirius shut the wooden doors. Neither of them moved a muscle as they heard the exchange going on below them.

A door opened, and they heard a shout. "An intruder! Get Mr. Malfoy, hurry, you fool!"

There were more pounding footsteps, and splashing water and the sound of someone Stunning the alligators – or maybe it was Brodon. More footsteps, and then the unmistakable drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"He's an Auror." 

"He is, sir?"

"Yes, he is. And somehow, he managed to get through all my wards." He muttered something Lily couldn't make out, and seconds later, a fireball shot through the middle of the doors she and Sirius were positioned next to. Lily barely contained a scream as she fell backwards and watched the fireball burn out. 

"That should teach his companions to be careful. Patrols, now! Take our new Auror to my office for questioning! I want his companions caught, and brought to me!"

More footsteps and the sound of a door being slammed. Sirius was on his feet immediately, pulling her behind a bush. He ripped a dirty piece of paper from his pocket, studied it, and pulled her more around to the left. "Blast a hole right here."

"What?!" she cried, staring at him.

"Lily, shut up and trust me!"

Lily looked at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out when the last time was that he has acted so seriously. 

"Go! I'll cast a Silencing Charm – do it! Just trust me!"

Lily turned, her eyes still wide, and once she was sure Sirius's charm was up, she blasted a fairly large hole in the stone wall, but small enough so that was still hidden by the large shrubbery around them. A dim light was coming from the hole, and Sirius put his legs over the edge. Before Lily registered what he was doing, he had already jumped down.

"Hurry up! I'll catch you, come on!" he whispered.

Shaking her head, she found his hands. Leaning against them, she hopped down, and landed on a sort of bench. 

"Don't light your wand," she breathed. 

"I'm not stupid." She could barely make out his features in the dim light, but something told her he was grinning.

"Right – would you mind explaining?" Lily finally demanded in a whisper almost not audible.

"Quickly, I will – you work on the door," he gestured to the cell door in front of them.

"Great!" she hissed. "You put us in a cell! What if I can't break the spells?"

"That's just it – there shouldn't _be any. These are the low security cells they put Muggles in, Lily. They might put a spell that could be broken by '__Alohomora' but nothing more."_

Lily sighed and turned to the door. She breathed "_Alohomora!" and, sure enough, the door swung open. She caught it before it hit the wall and made noise. _

"Good thing you've got that map," she breathed as they walked down in the shadows. After a few moments silence, she said, "I do hope you know where we're going."

"I have a foggy idea."

"Oh, that's good to know."

"Lily, this isn't the time to start acting like Gwen."

"I'm not. Am I?"

"The short little sarcastic remarks aren't becoming on you."

"Oh, really? And they are on her?"

"She would still be becoming even if she said 'damn' every other word."

"Glad to know you like her a lot."

"Glad to know you've begun cottoning on."

"Shut up. Where _are we going?"_

"Right here," he turned right, down a short hallway that was lit slightly more, and faced a cell full of people: a toddler, a seven or eight year old boy, a pretty teenage girl, and two young parents.

"Who's there?" the father cried, jumping up.

Lily winced. "Hush, please! We're here to help you, but we can't if you're loud!"

"How do we know you're here to help us?" the man's wide eyes glinted in the dim light. 

Sirius did his best to reassure the man as Lily looked over the terrified Muggles. The mother was sitting on a bench like the one in Lily and Sirius's cell, and had a death grip on her sleeping toddler; her older daughter (who looked to be about fourteen or so) held on to the seven year old. All were quietly sniffling.

"Please," she whispered, "don't be scared. We're here to help you."

"Are you from Scotland Yard or the police?" the mother whispered back.

Lily decided the best thing would be to nod. "Scotland Yard. Aren't we, Sirius?"

"What's-"

"Yes, of course we are!" Lily cut him off, elbowing him sharply.

"Yeah," he grunted. 

The Muggles' memories would be Obliviated, so it wouldn't have hurt to tell them, but Lily didn't want to take up too much time explaining. 

"I'm going to unlock your door, all right?"

The father nodded, and Lily unlocked it swiftly, and she and Sirius stepped inside. 

"I'm Lily Evans," she introduced herself, "and this is Sirius Black."

"We're the Patie's," the mother said hoarsely. "I'm Carol, my husband is Rick, this is our daughter Elizabeth, our son Jake, and my youngest daughter Amelia."

"Very nice to meet you all," Lily said, attempting a smile. "Well, we had better-"

"Quiet!" Sirius whispered suddenly. Lily heard footsteps, like he did, and she froze, her blood cold. 

"Hide us! Quickly!" Lily whispered. The Patie's sprang into action, to their slight surprise – Mrs. Patie scooted over so Lily and Sirius could crawl under the bench and stay there. Mr. Patie stood in front of all of them, blocking them from view. 

A man came around, his wand lit. He sneered at them all unpleasantly – Lily recognized the greasy, black hair, pale skin, and long nose instantly. Severus Snape.

"You'll be needed soon, Muggles, don't worry. Bloody Aurors are running loose all over the place, so it seems you have been saved from the inevitable momentarily. Are you – comfortable?" He looked cruelly amused. 

Lily felt Sirius tense next to her, and he was breathing rather hard. She kicked him sharply, as if making sure he wasn't going to move, and he relaxed a tiny bit.

"Have a good night," he smirked, and walked back.

Once his footsteps died away, Mrs. Patie and Elizabeth made room for them to crawl out. Mrs. Patie's legs were shaking, and Elizabeth was biting her lip hard, her breath coming in short gasps. Sirius leaped over to the cell door and flung it open.

"Let's go! Now!" he whispered, and they got up and walked out quickly without questioning. In a way, Lily reflected wryly, Severus had helped them. Sirius got in the front, and Lily took the back. "Follow me – do exactly as I do!" 

The Muggle family nodded, and crept through the shadows. Lily felt like she wasn't breathing the entire time. Once they were all back in the cell, with the hole Lily made dark on the stone wall above them, she shut the door quickly and put all the spells on it she could, as strong as she could muster, just in case. Mr. Patie got on the bench, and Lily smiled slightly when Sirius gave him a leg up.

"Rick! Are you alright?" Mrs. Patie called anxiously. 

"Yes – there's a type of shrubbery concealing us. Who's next?"

"Best get the toddler up first," Sirius said, and Mrs. Patie handed little Amelia over to him with shaking arms. 

"Lily, it's no good," he said after a few tries. "The hole's too far up – I'm afraid I'll drop her."

"I'll raise her up, then." Lily went over to the wide awake but silent child. "Do you want to fly, Amelia?"

"Yes," she whispered back. 

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if you aren't completely silent, the spell will break," Lily said, her eyes wide. 

Amelia nodded solemnly. 

"What are you going to do?" Mrs. Patie said with alarm as Lily took her wand out. 

"Make her fly, like I said," Lily said. "_Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered, and the child began to gently rise out of Sirius's arms._

"Holy Christmas," Mr. Patie said with wonder as she floated into his arms. Mrs. Patie was clutching her face, her knuckles white.

"Can I do it again?" Amelia cried. 

"Sshh!" everyone hissed, and no more was heard from up there. Silently Sirius and Lily helped the rest of the family up, and finally only Sirius remained. He took Rick's hand and pulled himself up, just as a bright light was shown through the hole from below. 

"Look! There they go!" someone yelled, and before they could think, Lily and Sirius tore out of the bush with the family on their heels. Lily looked back to make sure everyone was there, especially the little boy, and to her relief saw he was just a little bit behind her. Death Eaters appeared out of nowhere, evidently on search missions for the rest of Agent Brodon's companions. Lily felt a sharp stab of anxiety when she thought of poor Brodon, but it was quickly out of her mind when she heard a piercing scream. Sirius turned, but Lily was there first, seeing the fourteen year old being grabbed by a big man. 

"Lead the rest, Sirius! GO!" she yelled, and turned to the big man. His wand light illuminated her face, and he yelled with shock.

"You! The Adviser! Everyone, the Advi-" he was cut off with a sharp flick of her wand, Stunned on the ground. But his message had been heard. 

Lily grabbed the frightened girl's wrist and ran with all she had, dodging curses. Elizabeth had gotten the message to dodge the beams of light too, luckily. Lily looked up, and found that they were almost to the field – and then, her heart stopped. The family and Sirius were on one side of the wards invisible to everyone but Lily, and the Aurors – what looked like Group Three and the rest of Group Two – was on the other side, trapped. "Move!" she yelled, and undid the wards in seconds. She darted through the hole she had made, acutely aware of the Death Eaters close on their tails. The family and Sirius followed, and the Death Eaters stopped short, aware of the odds, which were strongly against them. A foolish one of their number darted through just as the wards were closing back again, and was instantly Stunned. 

"Portkey – to the Muggles, now!" Mundungus was yelling. He threw a tattered pick-nick basket to Sirius, who caught it, and told the family to hold on. They did so without question. 

"Three, two, one-" 

They were all jerked off their feet, and disappeared. 

Lily Disapparated when she saw that everyone else had done so, with the exception of Mundungus and a stern witch, who both looked extremely relieved to see her, yet scolded her for not Disapparating as soon as everyone else had. Seconds later, hard floor materialized under her feet – she was in the Safe Chamber at the Ministry. It seemed like a universal sigh of relief went up when she appeared in the middle of the floor, and the Minister, his wife, and countless others (some of whom were in pajamas) surrounded her.     
The Minister led her out of the room and into the Group Two room with Elizabeth and Jo on their heels. Gwen tried to barge her way through, but her father calmly told her she could see her friend in a few moments. Gwen made a face, but did not try again. Minister Watson sat down at the head of the table and rubbed his temples. 

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chairs.  "We are waiting for Arabella and Reid, and then we may begin."

They sat in silence until two people came in – the stern looking witch she had seen in the field, and a tall, wiry man with thick glasses – and took their places among them.

"Agent Brodon? Any word on him?" Minister Watson said first.

"We talked briefly to Sirius Black – he said Brodon was taken into custody by Malfoy after falling into his basement moat. We have no ways of knowing what his condition is. Lily – we need you to tell us your side of what happened," Jo said intently. 

Lily put her head in her hands. "What time is it, please?"

They glanced at each other, before Arabella said, "It's just after one o'clock."

"Can this not wait 'till tomorrow?"

"You don't have to go into detail until tomorrow," Elizabeth said gently, looking sharply at her husband, as if daring him to object. 

"We got there." Lily began wearily, fully planning to take her up on the no-details suggestion. "I undid the wards, and we hid in the bushes in front of the house. Then we unlocked the spells on the entrance to the cellar, and Brodon went in. There were alligators in the water down there, and his noise got the guards. Then Lucius came and ordered that the premises be checked, and Sirius grabbed me and we ran to another bush. Then I blasted a hole in the wall. We went through; found the place where the Muggles were. Freed them, and then went back through the hole. Dodged everyone, and then I undid the wards ah-again." A yawn caught her, and she felt her eyes drooping. "The rest you know."

The Minister nodded, while Jo looked alarmed. Elizabeth, masking her concern, folded Lily in a hug, and Lily's eyes dropped shut. The last thing she heard before drifting to sleep was, "The wards…They took hours for us to try and work out."

"She isn't normal, remember."

Lily felt like protesting that, but she fell asleep too quickly, and knew no more.

~*~*~*~*

She awoke the next morning in a big bed that wasn't her own. She sat up quickly, taking in her surroundings. She didn't recognize the room at all…

Lily got up and went to the window, where the sun was high in the sky. She breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the yard in front of her – she was at the Watson's. 

She turned to the closet and began sifting through it. She found a large terrycloth dressing gown and put it on before heading downstairs. Sitting around the kitchen table, fully dressed and eating sandwiches were the Watson's. 

"Ah! Lily," Minister Watson smiled, but she could see the strain.

"Lily!" Gwen exclaimed, getting up and hugging her tightly. "Oh, we were so worried about you, you have no idea!"

"Gwendolyn," Elizabeth warned. "Come sit down, Lily dear," she said, patting the seat next to her.   

Lily obliged, not saying anything. The anger she had felt last night on getting the broken Summoner was slowly returning – and growing. Giles the butler put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her, and she began to eat slowly, not listening to anything the Watson's said. During a lull in the conversation, when she could stand it no longer, she abruptly put her fork down and looked straight at the Minister.

"You knew," she said steadily, and then turned her bright green gaze on Elizabeth. "And you did too. Everyone knew except Gwen and I, didn't they?"

"What are you talking about?" Minister Watson spluttered.

"About the Summoner. It doesn't work."

Minister Watson sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "Yes, we all knew."

"Lily, you must know that it was for your protection-"

"My protection," she repeated in a strangled voice, looking at Elizabeth. "I can protect myself as well as, if not better than, anyone else in the Ministry!" 

"We know," Elizabeth soothed, "but we didn't want to take any chances-"

"You were nearly caught, Lily!" Minister Watson cried furiously. "Why are you fighting those who wish to protect you? Those who love you? Gwen made a mistake coming over to your house-"

"She didn't!" Lily cried, standing up. For a moment, she had felt properly abashed, but not her temper was back. "She was perfectly right in coming over! I am an Auror! Why do you not just make me a desk Auror if you're so concerned?!"

"Maybe I will!" Minister Watson roared, standing as well. "You are not to go out on the field again without my express permission!" 

"You know they couldn't have even _gotten through the wards if it hadn't been for me! The Muggles wouldn't be safe now if I hadn't gone!" _

"Lily, George, please-" Elizabeth begged, but the Minister cut her off.

"I don't deny it, but we could have just used you for a – why am I arguing my point? Lily, you need to start obeying your elders! Ella has spoiled you! She doesn't make you obey what she wants, so long as you're happy! I am sorry about your past, but it didn't just affect you, you know!"

Lily's jaw dropped, and Elizabeth breathed in sharply. "George! Really, I think-"  

"Elizabeth, someone's got to tell her the truth," the Minister said, still breathing heavily and looking angrily at the redhead in front of him. "You will _not go on any more calls! And I will __not give you another Summoner!"_

"Fine," Lily said, seething, "fine. Then I quit!" She threw down her napkin, tore a hole in the Anti-Apparation Wards, and was gone seconds later, leaving the stunned Watson's in her wake. 

~*~*~*~*

"Monsieur James!" Ella cried, jumping up from her seat in the living room and running towards James as he entered the house. He merely nodded at her before striding towards the stairs, looking quite preoccupied. 

"Do not bee disappointed when eet does not work," Ella called after him, her arms folded over her stomach. "But I suppose eef anyone can geet 'er out, yoo're ze one." 

He continued up the stairs and stopped in front of Lily's bedroom door. "Lily," he called sternly. "Lily Evans, let me in right now."

There was a pause. Then-

"James?"

"Yes, and if you do not open this door right-" he stopped short when the door opened, and his fiancée was standing there, looking extremely lost. He was surprised for a moment – after what Gwen, Sirius, Ella, and Hayley had said, it was impossible to get her out. No one had tried to do it forcibly, knowing that wouldn't work, and even if they did manage to get the door open anyway, they did not want to have to deal with whatever hex Lily put on them. His stern resolve melted, and he slipped inside and shut the door behind him.

"You're not here on behalf of _them are you?" she asked dully, but her green eyes were wary. _

"Even if I knew who 'they' were, I promise, I'm only here for myself. Lily, do you know how long you've been holed up in this room?"

Lily swallowed and looked at her bare, freckled toes. "Er – I haven't a clue."

"Two _days. I didn't come sooner because I assumed Gwen or Sirius or any of the others would be able to get you out. Why in the world couldn't they? Lily, really, you're being unreasonable."_

"_I'm being unreasonable?" she echoed with disbelief. "__I am? So you're telling me you think it's right that someone is trained to do something, and then not allowed to do it? No, excuse me," she continued in a biting tone, "'not allowed' isn't a good way to put it. 'Deliberately and cruelly tricked'__ is much better."_

James sighed. It was evident she had prepared this lecture over her two days of solitude, and he was in no mood to hear it. "Tell me why you wouldn't let anyone in before me?"

"Because," her eyes were blazing now. "They were all with _him."_

"Him? The Minister?"

"Yes, _him. That – that man who has __no right to control me. I am an adult. An adult! He made me out to be some uncivilized barbarian who had never had to obey anyone! The things he said about Ella! Really, it's not my fault my father hated me!" Tears began to pour from her eyes, and James felt his stomach lurch. She never spoke about her father to anyone. "It isn't my fault I've been harnessed with these horrible powers that I didn't ask for! It isn't my fault my mother died when she gave birth to me," her breath was coming in short gasps, and when James tried to take her hands, she pushed him away, looking at something only she could see. "It isn't my fault Mary Katherine was killed. It – it isn't my fault-"_

"Lily!" James cried, shaking her shoulders. "No one blames you for any of that! No one, only you! _You are your worst enemy. Not the Minister, not Jo, not Gwen, not Ella – __you."_

"Me," she repeated in a whisper, staring somewhere far away. "Just me."  

~*~*~*~*

Lily finally stirred a few hours later and opened her eyes. James was next to her, his glasses askew, fast asleep. Her yawns and stretches woke him up. He looked around blearily, fixing his glasses.

"Hi," she whispered, scooting close to him.

"Hi," he whispered back in his deep voice that made her shiver. She sat up, propping herself up on one elbow.

"Let's talk about the wedding."

"Alright – what about it?"

"Well, we haven't discussed anything yet. Like, whether we want a spring wedding, or a winter wedding…"

"What do you want?"

She stared at him. "I want your opinion."

"Lily, I honestly don't care, so long as it's soon."

"Hmm…it's almost November, and we'll need at least six months…"

"Six months!" he yelped.

"Yes... You do want this to be a good wedding, don't you?"

"Of course. But six months?"

"Mmmhmm. What about June?"

"But that's almost eight months," he objected. She frowned at him, and he put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine."

"Good," she said, smiling with satisfaction. "Now, Sirius is the Best Man, right?"

"Would I ask anyone else?" he asked with disbelief.

"Good heavens, I'm just making sure."

"Sorry. But yes, Sirius is the Best Man. And the godfather to all our children."

"How many is that?" she asked, a small smile flitting across her mouth.

"As many as we want," he grinned, leaning over and kissing her softly. 

She snorted. "Two, then. I have to keep my figure, you know."

"Doesn't matter to me," he said, tracing her cheekbone. "So long as you're happy."

She smiled and tilted her head, examining him. "So long as _you're happy, James."_

He took her hand and began to play with the diamond on it. "And Gwen is your Maid of Honor?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed, "and the godmother of our children!"

"I wouldn't want anyone else. Speaking of, have you decided what to name our children?"

"James," she said sternly, playing with his hair with her free hand, "the boy will be named Harry."

"And the girl? Or girls?"

"If we have one," she pointed out.

"Yes, if we have one. It should be a name from your side, since Harry is a name from mine."

"I've always been fond of the name Morgan. But I think I should keep up the flowers, don't you? It would be Violet or Iris, just depends. Or perhaps Rose. But I also-"

James cut her off swiftly with a kiss, knowing this was liable to go on for ages. "It won't be for a couple of years," he assured her, once the kiss was broken. "Now, what I think we need to do is ask Gwen and Sirius to be our Best Man and Maid of Honor." He rolled of the bed and stretched. 

Lily got up slowly. "I suppose you're right. I just – will they speak to me?"

"I'll call them over," he took a pouch of pink powder from Lily's mantle, lit her fire, threw it in, and shoved his head in. He did this once more, and a few moments later, knocking sounded on Lily's door. She sat down in the center of her bed, Indian-style, hoping she looked collected, while James opened the door to admit Gwen and Sirius. 

Sirius, looking relieved, hurried over to Lily's side, while Gwen stood there, looking anywhere but at her best friend. They were silent for a moment, until Lily cleared her throat. She held her head high, but her eyes were dropped down, studying her comforter. 

"I'm sorry. I acted selfishly, especially to you, Gwen, at breakfast the other day. I know that I haven't been controlled, and have never had a problem with getting what I wanted, and this time, something happened…I guess it was something so big that I wanted and couldn't have – the right to be a real field Auror – that I broke down and acted no better than a spoiled child." She raised her eyes to Sirius and Gwen in turn, saying solemnly, "I'm sorry" to both of them. Sirius gripped her hand in reply, while Gwen merely nodded. The silence that followed was not comfortable.

"So," James said, breaking it, "We have something we'd like to-" 

Lily cut him off with a sharp glare. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"What, now?" Sirius asked with something close to bemusement. 

Lily shook her head hard. "Nothing, nothing." She didn't want to ask Gwen to be her Maid of Honor now, not with everything so strange. She didn't even want to ask Gwen when they were in the presence of others…just when the two of them were feeling entirely comfortable together. After this…_thing was resolved. _

"Lily, did you mean it when you said you quit?" Gwen asked softly, haltingly, a few tense moments later.

"You what?!" James cried, turning on his fiancée.

Lily took a deep breath. "Yes. I quit. There's no use in me being a field Auror if I can't work in the field. I'd rather find work somewhere else."

She leaned over to her bedside table, grabbed the small Summoner device, and tossed it to a shocked Gwen. "Give that to your father, and tell him I'm sorry, and he was right, but I'm not looking to work at the Ministry now."

"What – Lily – it's your _duty-"_

"Gwen," Lily interrupted peacefully, "I have yet to see it written somewhere that Advisers are supposed to work at the Ministry."

"What will you do?" she whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Lily shrugged. "I love books. Perhaps I'll work in Flourish and Blotts."

James's jaw dropped. "The Adviser working in Flourish and Blotts? Lily, have you gone mad?"

"I'll work in the Ministry eventually," Lily said, still calm. "But not now. I want to enjoy being eighteen, in love, and not have these horrid powers hanging round my head."

"Lily, you can't escape who you are," Sirius whispered, his own face shocked as well. 

"I know, and I'm not escaping myself…I'm merely…taking a break. I'll research the Staff of Metrusia, try and find a cure," she shrugged, feeling glee wash over her. She felt wonderful, being able to say – and do – all that she had been yearning to do. Not be the Adviser, Auror extraordinaire. Just Lily Evans. "Let me have this time. I'm getting married in eight months – I need to plan that."

This pronouncement was followed by silence. "You've set a date, then?" Sirius said hoarsely, finally.

"Sometime in June," Lily said, shrugging, a grin forming on her mouth. "Now, why don't you all join me in the kitchen for a snack?"

~*~*~*~*

A/N: Don't forget to review, and join my Yahoo Group! 

Cheers!

Bella     


	19. Of Weddings, Quidditch, and Scary Jokes

A/N: I apologize sincerely for the length of this chapter – but hey, it's nothing but pure, undiluted fluff, which is something we all need once in a while, right? Review, please! Thanks to Xaviera Xylira and my wonderful lone beta, ReineDansante. 

Bella

The Story of Lily

Chapter 19: Of Weddings, Quidditch, and Scary Jokes

_Can't you see_

_There's a feelin' that's come over me_

_Close my eyes_

_You're the only one that leaves me_

_Completely breathless_

_~Michelle Branch, "You Set Me Free"_

Ding, ding.

Lily looked up from her position behind the checkout counter. A person tightly bundled up came in, and quickly shut the door to prevent any of the blizzard going on outside from coming into the bookstore. Oh, well. The person would ask if they needed any help. 

Lily turned her attention back to the Daily Prophet in front of her. On the front, they had started a list of all the people who had fallen prey to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, whose slaughter of wizards and Muggles alike had recently been raised to new heights. She flipped from to the next page, and gasped when she came upon a picture of herself, helping a customer. The headline read, "The Adviser as a Sales Clerk?"

Lily Evans, the Adviser, and niece of the late Violet Wellington-Black, _writes Ophelia Jones, Special Correspondent, has the wizarding world quite stumped. Many have spotted her working in Diagon Alley, in the bookstore Flourish and Blotts, and everyone has one question: has our Adviser gone mad?_

It is common knowledge that Miss Evans is close with the senior members of the Ministry – her best friend, Gwendolyn Watson, is none other than the daughter of the Minister – and has also graduated from the Auror Academy. So why has she started to work as a bookstore clerk? 

"Miss Evans is taking a break," the former Assistant Minister of Magic, John Lupin, said curtly to us earlier in the week. "She is acting as a normal eighteen-year-old should."

Some, however, have different opinions of the lovely girl.

"Shirking her duties, she is," is the opinion of Mr. Lucius Malfoy. "She should be helping our cause in the fight against the Dark Lord."

Many agree with Mr. Malfoy. Is Miss Evans trying to escape the duties that come with her powers? Has she suddenly decided she doesn't want to be an Auror, much less the Adviser? Others wonder about the large diamond ring that sits on her finger. Has Miss Evans found someone, and is that why she isn't serving for the common good? I think this reporter speaks for everyone when I say, I don't want an Adviser who cannot see where she should be putting her talents, and we wonder: is she related to the Violet Wellington we all remember, who gave her life to save her niece? The Minister should perhaps think twice about letting this young woman, when she chooses, to join the Ministry. 

"Not very nice, is it?"

Lily winced, but forced herself to meet the eyes of Minister Watson. 

"No, sir, it isn't."

He took in the bookstore with a closed expression on his face, though it didn't take a genius to tell he wasn't particularly happy. Lily sighed.

"Sir, I don't want to have a repeat of what happened at breakfast that morning-"

"And neither do I." He glanced at the manager, who looked slightly flustered to be talking to the Minister. "Might I borrow Lily for a bit? I'd like to take her out to lunch."

"Of – of course, sir!"

"Thank you." He nodded at Lily. "I'll wait for you to get your cloak."

Lily bit her lip and walked into the cloakroom silently. She didn't want to anger the Minister any more, and was already treading on thin ice with Gwen, so she thought it best to stay quiet and obey him. She grabbed her scarlet cloak, tied it over her green robes, and left the safety of the small room. She joined the Minister, and they exited the shot. Immediately, flashbulbs went off in front of them. A large gathering of press was eagerly shouting questions to the Minister and Lily. Lily cursed the reporter who wrote the piece on her in the Daily Prophet, but instead of pushing their way through the assembled media, the Minister stopped.

"Minister, how do you feel about the article written on Miss Evans?"

"Absolute codswallop, in my opinion," he said indignantly. "I agree with Mr. Lupin – she is acting exactly as she should be."

"And Miss Evans, your opinion on the piece?"

 Lily breathed deeply. "Hardly any of it was true."

"Is it true that Miss Evans broke into your house and threatened to kill you?"

"Minister, are you and Miss Evans on good terms, then?"

"What are your views on Lucius Malfoy's comments?"

"Is she going to be working in the Ministry soon?" 

"But what about the ring?" a woman young woman asked anxiously at Lily's left. "Is it an engagement ring?"

"That's the only part of the article that was true," Lily said, unconsciously playing with the ring. "I am engaged," she smiled.

"To whom, may we ask?"

"Yes, Miss Evans, who's the lucky man?"

Lily suddenly felt as though their business-y attitudes had evaporated. They were humans too, adoring a good love story. 

She smiled again. "James Potter."

There were appreciative noises, and then almost silence, before they started asking questions again.

"Miss Evans, what do you feel about Mr. Malfoy's quote?"

Lily's eyes darkened. "He is the last person I would have expected to say something like that."

"Do you have plans to join the Ministry in the future?"

"I certainly hope so, that is, if Minister Watson will still take me," she smiled at him. This was alright, actually. Perhaps she was getting over her fear of being the center of attention.

Minister Watson smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "She is welcome anytime she wants," he chuckled.

"I'm just taking a break, like Mr. Lupin said. I hope to get married and settled down before I do anything with the Ministry."

"Have you set a date, Miss Evans?" the same young witch who had asked he about her ring said. 

Lily smiled again. "Mid-June, we think."

"And, Miss Evans? How do you feel about the death of your longtime friend, Mary Katherine Wampler?" a hard male voice asked.

Lily swallowed, and looked down. The Minister, his voice also suddenly hard, said, "That will be all. Miss Evans has no comment."

And with that, he steered her through the press, and they ducked into the Leaky Cauldron. After being seated, ordering drinks and lunch, Minister Watson spoke up.

"Lily, believe it or not, I haven't come here to persuade you to come back."

She looked at him over her tankard of butterbeer. "You haven't?"

"No. I'm here on behalf of Gwen. She's worried sick that you blame her for everything."

Lily was incredulous. "The only reason why we haven't been talking is because _I thought __she was upset at me, because I got her in so much trouble and yelled at you!"_

"No. She also thinks this whole big mess is her fault, when, in reality, it's mine. It didn't even cross my mind that she would drop by your house beforehand, though I suppose that's the mark of a good friendship."

Lily smiled slightly. She wasn't going to protest – she had done enough of that in the past month and a half. It was almost Christmas, after all. 

"And – well, Elizabeth and I have discussed it, and we don't mean to make you uncomfortable if this isn't what you're planning on doing – but we think the real reason for her distress is because you haven't asked her to be the Maid of Honor, or even a bridesmaid yet. And you have begun planning, haven't you?"

"Yes, with Ella – and of course I want her to be my Maid of Honor," Lily said, putting her flaming red face in her hands. "I just – I wanted to do it when things weren't so weird between us."

"I think you need to talk things out with her."

"So do I."

"Why not invite her to dinner?"

Lily jerked her head up. "Tonight?!"

The Minister looked rather alarmed. "I didn't say that. But I think it should be soon – after all, Christmas is next week."

"I know," she said miserably. "May I change the subject for a minute?"

"You may."

"I was wondering – do you normally stop to chat with the press?"

"Ah, how very perceptive of you," he said, his eyes sparkling. "You see, speaking to you today killed two birds with one stone."

"How so?"

"The Daily Prophet got an anonymous call today, saying the Minister would be in front of Flourish and Blotts with Lily Evans around noon today."

Lily raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

"They all alerted everyone else, and so, we were able to quell those ridiculous rumors that we hated each other, and at the same time, have a nice conversation about Gwen. Though, that question about Mary Katherine signaled to me that that was enough."

"That makes sense," Lily said appreciatively. "But have rumors really said that we hated each other?"

The Minister chuckled. "That, and you threatened to kill me." He waved his hand dismissively. "Quite ridiculous."

Lily nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. They spent the meal talking about innocent things, and Lily told him about her wedding plans. When she could put work off no longer, they stood, and clasped hands. "I'll have Gwen over as soon as possible," she promised.

Minister Watson smiled. "That sounds wonderful, my dear. Goodbye for now!"

~*~*~*~*

A timid knock sounded on the front door. Lily jumped up from her seat and flung herself in front of Ella, preventing her from leaving to room and going into the kitchen.

"Don't leave me," she begged.

"Lilee," Ella said sternly, "go and geet ze door."

"Only if you swear to stay in the room."

"I will do no suzh sing! _Go and geet ze door."_

Lily whimpered.

"Why are yoo acting like yoo are facing yoor death? Go!"

Lily reluctantly moved aside and walked towards the big door, and heard Ella dart into the kitchen. She set her shoulders, and opened the door. Gwen stood on the porch, looking tense herself.  They stared at each other for a moment, before Lily moved aside wordlessly, admitting her. They stood in the entrance hall silently, before Lily said, "Er – shall we sit?"

Gwen nodded, and they both moved into the living room and sat down. Lily played with the tassels on her chair, before Gwen interrupted the uncomfortable silence.

"Right, this is stupid." 

Lily looked up to see Gwen's sapphire eyes blazing. "Stupid," she echoed.

"And I want you to know that I don't blame you."  
          "And I certainly don't blame you."

Gwen rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "That was hard, wasn't it?"

Lily had to smile. "Quite."

They were silent again, both not looking at the other, before Gwen interrupted the silence again. "So – want to tell me about your new job?"

"It's nice," Lily said, nodding. "Quiet, mostly – a lot of people don't want to brave this horrible weather."

"Yes, it is horrible, isn't it?"

"Very. I'm glad we'll have a white Christmas, though."

"Oh, yes. Me too."

"When is it supposed to clear up, again?"

"Hmm…I don't recall. I haven't been listening to the wireless lately."

"I'm afraid it's slipped my mind as well."

The silence descended upon them once more. _What was that about? Lily thought furiously to herself. __When have we talked about the weather?_

 "Fine conversation we're having," Gwen remarked, almost to herself. 

Lily nodded. She didn't know if it would be appropriate to burst out laughing, like she felt like doing, but on the other hand, someone needed to break the ice. 

"Lily." 

Lily looked up into her best friend's pleading eyes. "Friends?"

Lily grinned. "Always, Gwen."

They hugged tightly, swearing never to go a month and a half (but who was counting?) without speaking again. Lily was feeling quite emotional when she pulled back.

Gwen looked at her excitedly through her own tears. "Tell me everything you've got for the wedding so far."

Lily launched into explaining the invitations, and what she and James decided to do: to honor Lily's mother, she and James would wear Muggle wedding clothes, and the rest of the party would wear wizard wedding robes. 

"What color, do you know?" Gwen asked.

"Hmm…well, I want to have the wedding in the evening, out in the gardens…"

Something unsettling flitted across her mind, followed by something equally as disturbing. Who was going to walk her down the isle? And what would happen to the Wellington Mansion once Lily and Ella moved out?

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked curiously.

Lily swallowed, and put those thoughts away to ponder later. "Er – nothing. Oh, Gwen – please forgive me for not asking sooner, but – I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

Gwen's eyes filled with tears, and they hugged again. "Of course! I might not be coherent enough to hand you the rings, though," she gave a watery smile.

"I'll have Hayley and Celeste up there to help you, okay?" Lily smiled.

They chatted for a long time more, before Gwen remembered she told her mother she'd have dinner with her. After another tight hug, she left.

Lily sat down again. _I have to have someone walk me down, she said, swallowing. __And since I don't have a father, who could I use? _

She jumped up suddenly, an idea forming in her mind. She quickly got powder to call James over. This idea would be perfect.

~*~*~*~*

"Ooh, where are they?" Gwen asked anxiously, pacing to the window again. Christmas Eve was the next day, and Lily was holding dinner at her house this night. She had politely requested that she, James, Sirius, and Gwen eat alone to Ella, who took it with a happy smile. Now she and Gwen were waiting for "those boys", who had said they would arrive together.

"They've been acting awfully secretive about something, though. And who knows what they've come up with. They're a bit too clever for their own good, you know." Lily pointed out, sipping tea, and perched on an armchair. 

"I know," Gwen said, temporarily forgetting her anxiety and trading it for curiosity. "I pestered Sirius about it, and he didn't tell me, and even James didn't cave in, which surprised me. I think Peter and Remus are in on it, whatever it is, though they acted like they didn't."

"How is Peter?" Lily asked. She and the short boy had never been close, but she had always liked him.

"Fine, I suppose," Gwen shrugged. "Really into his new job."

"Yes…it's a mystery to me as to how he got into the Ministry."

"Me too! He wasn't very-" a distant roaring made her stop. Lily set her teacup down and listened hard.   
          "It sounds like a motor or something."

"You don't suppose they took a – a – what're they called? Flautamobiles?"

"Automobiles," Lily corrected. "Well, there's only one way to-"

She was cut off when the door opened, letting in a great rush of freezing cold air. James appeared in the doorway, his cheeks pink, a boyish grin on his face. He took Lily's hand in his gloved one and tugged.

"C'mon, Lils, Gwen! Sirius and I want to show you something!"

Lily gave Gwen a helpless look and was practically dragged outside, and Gwen followed with a roll of her eyes. There, in the middle of the snow-covered driveway, was a gleaming motorbike. 

"What the hell is that?" was Gwen's dubious comment.

"Ah, Gwennie," Sirius said, shaking his hat-covered head sadly. "So young, so naïve."

He kissed Lily's cheek and Gwen's mouth, evidently not thinking she was too young to kiss, and gestured proudly to his bike. "This, my dear girls, is the product of all my hard work. James and I slaved over this baby for – how long, James?"

"Nearly two months," he said seriously.

"Yes, and you know it was hard, what with our busy social lives. Anywho, the unique thing about this seemingly-ordinary motorbike is that it flies."

"Damn well, too." James added.

"Of course."

"It flies?" Gwen said dubiously.

"Would I lie, lovie?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Not particularly."

"I didn't think so."

"Want to give it a spin?"

"I fancy living, actually."

"You're too stiff, Gwen."

"Too stiff!" she cried, putting her hands on her hips in disbelief. "I am _not too stiff. Lily doesn't think I'm stiff."_

"Of course not," Lily said, her face straight.

"Lils!" Sirius said as if suddenly seeing her, wrenching her hand out of James' grip and pulling her towards the bike. "You want to ride, don't you?"

"If James drives."

"Why do I get the feeling you don't trust me?"

"Because she doesn't, dolt," Gwen put in.

Sirius rounded on her. "Gwennie me dear, you always seem to forget one very important factor when we argue," he said, stepping up very close to her. Gwen was tall, but Sirius had a full four inches height advantage. 

"And what is that?" she demanded, but grinning up at him anyway.

"I'm bigger than you."

And with that, he scooped her up and plopped her on the seat in front of him, and seconds later, they disappeared into the night, Gwen's shrieks audible.

"Seems you've been quite busy," Lily observed to James, who was standing a few feet behind her, with a smile. 

He closed the distance between them quickly, gazing at her with that…that _expression that drove her senses mad. "We have," he said, wrapping his arms around her. _

"It's quite cold – let's go inside, where we can begin our dinner."

"And you're sure you still want to do this, love?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Surely you don't have any objections?"

"Of course not," he said hastily. "I was just making sure."

She smiled at him, and together they went into the house, laughing and talking quietly. Soon after, Gwen and Sirius appeared, flushed and beaming. 

"Miss Lily, dinner is ready," Cookie said, coming out of the kitchen.

"Thank you, Cookie," Lily said graciously, and led her guests into the dining room. Over dinner (pasta) they talked much about the wedding, and Lily and James managed to get in a few good remarks about the status of Gwen and Sirius's relationship ("Have you still not asked her_, Sirius?")_

Afterwards, they retired to the living room with pie and drinks, and Gwen spoke.

"So – Sirius and I've decided you didn't just call us over to chat."

Lily smiled into her tea, and she and James traded looks. James nodded, and they both stood up. "Well, first, I suppose I should do the big thing – Gwen and Sirius, as you both know, Ella is going to move out of here and go back home once I move into Godric's Hollow, and, well, I'm giving this house to you."

Gwen's jaw dropped. "Giving-"

"To us?"

Lily smiled and nodded energetically. "Gwen gets half and Sirius gets half. And the other thing is really big too…" she took a deep breath. "Right, as you know, I haven't got a father. But, I do have a wonderful brother," tears stung her eyes, as Sirius's face paled. "-and I would be honored if you would walk me down the isle, Sirius."

"Me?" he croaked. Gwen gave a little sob and clutched James's hand. 

"Yeah, you," she said, the tears spilling. Sirius stood and hugged her tightly. 

"This is too much, Lils," he choked out. "I don't deserve this, really, I don't."

"Yes, you do," she whispered firmly. "You do. You've been there for me, and I know you always will be."

"I will," he said fiercely. "Always and forever, Lily. Always and forever."

~*~*~*~*

They walked among great grave stones; the only sound that rang through the air was the crunch of the snow under their feet. They stopped in front of the newest, and one of the biggest stones, forming a sort of semi-circle around it. James was the first to stir. He dropped to his knees in front of it, and brushed the snow off so everyone could clearly see the name Harry Kiser Potter engraved in it.

Lily looked at the woman to her right. Even now, after seven years of knowing her, Katharine Potter was still tall and beautiful, the epitome of grace. But lines of sorrow that had not adored her pale face were visible now, even more so than usual. It seemed to Lily that Katharine had no more tears to cry, but that wasn't the case for herself and Gwen. It had been on this day, exactly a year ago, that Lord Voldemort had murdered Harry Potter. They had stayed up until midnight the night before, but not much celebrating had gone on. It was now 1978, though, whether they liked it or not – another year. 

It was physically hurting Lily to see James like this, anguished, going round as though he didn't care about anything, and she knew that he had to heal himself; she couldn't interfere. After a few more moments, the assembled (the Lupin's, Watson's, Black's, plus Lily and Ella) put down the flowers they had been carrying, and slowly trudged back to the Potter's house. There they had a very quiet dinner; the silence was only broken when someone asked for a dish to be passed or something of the like. 

Then, a few days later, with great unwillingness, everyone went back to work. Lily didn't ask and wasn't told about the happenings of the Aurors, but that didn't stop her from thinking irrationally that that would be the last time she saw Gwen or Sirius or James. She did, however, ask about Agent Brodon; no one said anything, and Lily bowed her head.  

She was quite content to work at Flourish and Blotts, and ever since the article in the Daily Prophet was published, the bookstore seemed to have more customers than usual. Some came up and demanded flatly if she was the Adviser. Lily would answer in the affirmative, and they would either walk away, tell her she was a fool for working in a lowly bookstore, or, rarely, someone would agree with her want of freedom. The manager didn't seem to mind Lily was being tormented – the only time he became upset was when the people left without a book.

Meanwhile, the wedding plans were going splendidly. Gwen, to many people's surprise except those who really knew her (she had long been fascinated with Muggle dresses), started to plan Lily's wedding gown. This was actually Lily's suggestion; it came about after one particularly exhausting day in late January, after they had been out shopping for a gown.

The two headed into yet another Muggle bridal boutique. Lily was ready to hang her best friend – no dress seemed to be good enough for Lily, in her opinion. Lily tried on a gown which she really, really liked. It was a white, shimmery satin with a deep neck and lace around the neckline, and a bow in the back, which was where the train would be attached. Lily went out of the dressing room, feeling sure that there would be nothing Gwen's critical eye would find displeasing.

Gwen looked at it, her eyebrows raised. "Turn," she commanded. Lily obeyed. 

"Ah! This is simply spectacular on you, miss!" the shop owner said energetically. "And just wait until you lay eyes on the stunning train! Shall I go fetch it?"

"The bow's crooked," Gwen said suddenly. "Look. It's definitely crooked."

Lily clenched her teeth and spun around, the soft fabric swishing around her. "Fine, Gwen. Fine! You design my gown then, alright? So everything will be to your liking, Your Majesty!"

And with that, she stomped back into the dressing room, mad, but satisfied that she had sufficiently shut Gwen up, when she heard a loud, "Okay, Lily! I will!"

Lily came right back out again, practically half-naked. "You'll what?"

"I told you, I'll design the gown." Gwen's face was shining with the same passionate look she got on her face when she watched Muggle beauty pageants. 

Lily looked at her for one long moment, before nodding. "Fine. But if you make me look horrid-"

"You have permission to never speak to me again," Gwen said confidently. "I'm going to start right now." She turned to the livid salesclerk. "Do you happen to have any paper lying round? And perhaps a quill?"

By late March, Lily was getting anxious. She still hadn't seen even the plans for the gown yet, and she was getting married in three and a half months. They had set the date and sent out the invitations – Lily Carolyn Evans and James William Potter would be wed on June 20, 1978.

And so, the bride-to-be found herself rapping on the Watson's door in early April. To her surprise, Ella answered the door.

"Lilee! 'ow wonderful to see yoo!"

"Why're you over here? And where's Gwen? I want to see my gown."

"Ah, love, I do sink you're going to 'ave to trust us on zis."

"What – you mean, I'm not going to see my wedding gown until the day I get married?"

Ella looked scandalized. "Of course not! We weel give yoo a week or so notice, darling! Now shoo!"

"That's lovely, thanks," Lily said sarcastically, but left anyway. She trusted Gwen and Ella. Most of the time, anyway.

Meanwhile, she busied herself with the other aspects of the wedding – buying the rings with James, planning out the dinner menu with Ella, picking out decorations (and putting them up) in the Potter's back yard. And, of course, dance lessons. They had to pull Celeste out of school specially one weekend so she could practice dancing in dress robes with Remus, her partner. Hayley would be partnered with Peter. Lily organized this because of height – Celeste was taking after her brother, and was fast approaching Gwen's height, and Hayley, while not petit, was shorter than Celeste – so everything would look even. Lily enjoyed these dance lessons immensely, with James counting softly in her ear, though both she and he didn't need it. She also suspected Gwen liked them as well, despite her vehement protestations.  

Finally, as promised, the week before the wedding, Lily was summoned to the Watson's.

She Apparated in front of the familiar steps, mounted them, and knocked on the door. She was admitted by a glowing Hayley, and was curious to see all of the bridesmaids, Ella, Marie-Claire, Katharine, Elizabeth, Mrs. Lupin, Cookie, and Mrs. Wampler were all standing around, sipping champagne. There was a table against the wall filled with refreshments, and an assortment of brightly colored packages. When Lily entered, the women cheered, and someone thrust a flute of champagne into her hand. 

"What – why are you all here?" she called.

"This is your bridal shower, dear!" Elizabeth cried. "And the formal presentation of your gown."

Lily surveyed their beaming faces. "Wait – have you _all seen my gown?"_

"Well…technically, yes," Hayley said, unable to keep the grin off her face. 

"And – let me guess, you want to prolong me seeing it by throwing me a party?" Lily was starting to smile in spite of herself.

"Of course, dearie," Cookie said, raising her glass. 

"Well, bring on the presents, then!" Lily said, and sipped her champagne. Immediately a chair was brought to her, and she sat; a gift was handed to her just as Gwen came down the stairs. Lily looked up at her best friend, a good-humored smile on her face. "Gwen? How's my dress?"

"Wonderful – I just had to arrange it." She grabbed a glass of champagne. "Shouldn't someone make a toast?"

"Oh – right. Gwen, what about you?" Elizabeth said hurriedly.

"No, I have to make a speech at the wedding, remember?"

"Fine. Right, to our lovely bride," Elizabeth said. "May she always feel the love that she shares with James – a love that only a choice few can find and keep."

"And let's pray no one messes up," Gwen added dryly.

"Here, here!" they chorused, and clinked glasses. 

"Right – open your gifts, won't you? This one's from George and I," Elizabeth said, gesturing to the brightly lit package. Lily unwrapped it and took out a clock. It looked like a regular clock, but instead of numbers, it had things such as "Home", "Work", and "Lost" in their places. The long hand read "James" and it was pointed towards "Home" and the shorter hand said "Lily" and was pointing towards "Friend's House". 

"What is this?"

"I got the idea from Arthur and Molly Weasley! It tells you where the family is so you'll always know! And there should be more hands in there – yes, so your family has room to grown…"

"Wow," Lily said, her face lighting. "This is wonderful! Thank you!"

"You're very welcome, my dear." 

From Cookie she got a pot that resized itself to accommodate nearly anything, from Celeste it was a handmade cushion that said "The Potters" on it, from Ella it was a crystal vase from a famous Muggle jewelry maker called "Tiffany's", Hayley gave her monogrammed dressing gown, Marie-Claire gave her scented candles and bath soaps, Katharine gave her a huge silver platter with her and James's monogram engraved in the middle, Mrs. Lupin gave her matching serving spoons, and Mrs. Wampler's gift was a silver and gold picture frame. 

"And now," Gwen said, taking her best friend by the wrist and pulling her up, "it's time to see The Dress."

Lily inhaled deeply, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Oh, God," she whimpered. Gwen looked slightly affronted. 

"Don't you trust me?"

"Well…"

"Lily!

"Yes, yes, of course I do!"

Gwen said nothing, but her grip tightened painfully on Lily's wrist and she scowled. The other women were following them; Lily guessed they wanted to see her reaction more than they wanted to see the dress.

Gwen arrived in front of her door. "Here we are!" she said dramatically. She grinned evilly when she saw Lily was nearly wetting herself. "And here's the dress."

She opened the door, and the only thing Lily could do was gape. It was _purple. No, scratch that – fuchsia would be a better word. It was all fluff and bows, with a high neck. _

"Don't you love it?" Gwen said, her face shining. "Isn't it just wonderful?"

"Oh, yes," Lily lied swiftly, even though she felt tears coming to her eyes. "It's – it's lovely," she sniffed.

"Oh, honestly, Lily," Gwen said, shaking her head. "Do you really think I would make you wear that hideous thing? _Finite Incantatem!"_

Where the horrible fuchsia dress had been, a sight to behold was there instead. Lily gaped this time, but for entirely different reasons. It was solid white, thank heavens, satin, and seemed to give off an ethereal light. The bodice was trimmed with pearls, going down into a slight v, where the satin of the skirt billowed out. The neck was square and low…the veil connected to a headpiece, and it was made of the softest, transparent fabric. The train connected to a bow in the back and was made of the same satin material as the dress and was spread out elegantly around the mannequin that modeled the gown. This time, the tears did fall, and she hugged Gwen blindly. "It's spectacular, Gwen. Absolutely spectacular."  
          When she pulled back, Gwen was dabbing at her own sapphire eyes. "I just hope you don't expect me to get you a gift," she sniffled.

Lily smiled, and felt tears well up again. "Of course not."

"Try eet on, Cheri. Gwen and I 'ave been dying to see eet on yoo," Ella said, dabbing at her own eyes. Lily hugged and thanked Ella as well, despite the Frenchwoman's protestations, and then went to try the dress on in Gwen's bathroom, Cookie walking behind her, holding the train. With the older woman's help, Lily managed to get into the dress, and immediately felt complete. She was _born to wear this gown, she thought as she surveyed herself in the mirror._

The flecks of gold in her green eyes were definitely emphasized; the gold in her auburn hair showing up as it had never before. She fit perfectly into it, like a glove. Cookie was sobbing, and she opened the door for Lily and let her out. 

A collective gasp went up, and if any eyes had been dry before, they definitely weren't anymore. Lily suddenly felt self-conscious, and smiled shyly. The women looked at her from all different views; they all fussed over the gown and her hair, and when Gwen put the pearl circlet in her hair, which had the veil attached, they all gasped, studied, and fussed over her again. Lily smiled. She could conquer the world in this gown – getting married would be a cinch.

~*~*~*~*

However, on the day of her wedding, she wasn't quite so sure. 

She was awoken by Ella (she was crying already), who served her breakfast in bed. Since the wedding would take place at five thirty that evening, she was allowed to sleep late. Then it was straight to the Potter's, which had been set up as a home base. Lily was escorted by no less than five women into Mrs. Potter's large bedroom suite. 

"Wait!" she finally cried out, before the strange looking hairstylist could touch her, "I need to see James."

Everyone began muttering. 

"Lily, you're getting married in five hours-"

"Isn't she not supposed to see him?"

"What if we can't find him?"

"What if he's already dressed?"

"Isn't it only that Lily's not supposed to be dressed?"

"Hush!" she cried again. "Or did you all forget about the luncheon set up?"

"Ooh. Wow, good point, Lily," Gwen said, her eyes wide.

"Yes, I want to go eat lunch with James," Lily announced. "Someone needs to go find him, though."

"Oh, right." Celeste scampered off, and Lily and the bridal party (who were all makeup-free and clothed in their most un-flattering robes) went into the living room, where many of the men were gathered, all picking from the buffet. Celeste came back soon, looking peeved.

"You'll never, ever guess where they are," she said, a touch of sarcasm in her tone.

"No, they aren't," Lily said slowly, a grin forming on her mouth.

"Playing _Quidditch?" Gwen exclaimed. "Ugh, they are such __boys, I don't __believe this!"_

"Actually, Quidditch sounds nice," Lily said thoughtfully.  
_ "Lily, have you gone mad?" said Gwen, her mouth open.   
But Lily was already walking to the Quidditch pitch outside the Potter's house. She craned her neck up and spotted James, Sirius, Remus, and even Peter flying around. James spotted her and cried out, and seconds later, had landed in front of her._

Lily was suddenly, embarrassed, for some inexplicable reason. She supposed it had to do with nerves, but, nevertheless, felt her treacherous face heat up. She looked away from him.

Seconds later, cool hands turned her face so she was facing James. He looked concerned. "Are you alright, Lils?"

Lily closed her eyes, reminded herself to breath, and felt the heat leave her face. "Yes," she murmured, opening her eyes. Her expression softened. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said quietly, cupping her chin and kissing her tenderly. Cheers and catcalls made them stop the kiss, and Lily shaded her eyes and grinned. The entire wedding party were holding broomsticks.

"Up to a game, Potter?" Sirius asked loudly, "or are you going to kiss her all day?"

James grinned. "That actually sounds good, but, is that a threat, Black?"

"Damn straight it is," Gwen called. "You in, Evans?"

"Yeah," Lily cried, taking the offered broomstick from her Maid of Honor. 

"I've got it!" Hayley yelled excitedly. "Girls against boys!"

"Fine," James agreed, smiling. "That's even – one Seeker, one Chaser, one Beater, and one Keeper on each team."

"And let's have our bride and groom as captains," Gwen interjected. "So c'mon, Lily!" 

The girls gathered in a small huddle. "Okay, Gwen, you're a Seeker, of course, and I'm only good as a Chaser," Lily looked at her other two bridesmaids pensively. "Any preferences, girls?"

Hayley and Celeste looked at each other and shrugged. "I'm pretty good as a Keeper," Celeste said.

"Good, then. Hayley, are you okay with being a Beater?" 

Hayley grinned. "Sure. I've never tried that position before, but I'm always up to doing new things!"

"We're going to knock their pants off," Gwen whispered with an evil smile.

"Oy, Evans!"

Lily looked up at Sirius. 

"What are those poor excuses for Quidditch players called?"

Lily turned back around with a questioning gaze.

"Lily's Bridesmaids!" called Hayley excitedly. 

Gwen nodded importantly. "And what are those poor excuses for men called?" she yelled back. Celeste giggled, and Lily bit her tongue to stifle her own laughter.

Sirius looked as though he were desperately trying to come up with a clever name. 

"How about, 'James's Groomsmen?" Peter said, his eyebrows raised.

"Good job, Wormtail!" Sirius called over his shoulder. Gwen rolled her eyes heavily. 

"Fine. Are you ready?"

"We are," James said. "Prepare to lose, ladies."

"No, darling, I think it is you who should prepare to lose," Hayley said with a smirk.  

"Right, they don't stand a chance. Lily's Bridesmaids on three!" Gwen cried, putting her hand in the middle. The other girls copied her. "One, two, three!"

"LILY'S BRIDESMAIDS!"

And so, the game began. Marie-Claire came out just as they were about to start, saying she would referee. She opened the crate of balls and blew a sharp note on her whistle. Eight brooms shot into the air, and Lily caught the Quaffle.

She streaked towards the goal on the opposite end, but was prevented when Sirius smashed a Bludger, purposely not hitting her, but enough to make her drop the Quaffle in surprise. She dove down to get it without thinking, and nearly collided with James, but managed to score. The boys groaned, the girls cheered. James scored three times after that, not giving Lily time to think. Hayley managed to hit him with a Bludger in the back; Sirius retaliated by hitting a Bludger at _her, which she managed to deflect just in time. _

Thirty minutes later, when the score was seventy to thirty, Lily called an impatient time-out. The girls landed on the side together.

"Listen!" Lily hissed, an idea coming to her quickly. "This is our game plan: diversionary tactics." She gave her friends meaningful looks. They caught on quickly – Celeste giggled rather hysterically, Hayley looked smug, and Gwen smirked. 

Lily had done drills against James long enough to know what she had to do when they began again, Lily in possession of the Quaffle. She smiled flirtatiously, but didn't move. She saw with amusement that James was going through a fierce internal battle – should he rush and grab her and risk bruising her?

Lily didn't give him another chance to think. She dove down under him and back up, and was soon streaking down to the goal, which was guarded by Peter. She saw Sirius out of the corner of her eye; he didn't want to risk hurting her by hitting a Bludger at her. She found he must have decided that the girls' scoring was worse; she heard the heavy black ball as it whizzed past her ear. Still she managed to feint, and tucked the ball neatly away.

The girls cheered, the boys groaned. Lily gave James a wink and a smile, causing him to go slightly pale. Hayley gave her a discreet high five as she passed, both girls stifling laughs. Marie-Claire signaled the game to start up again; this time, James had the Quaffle. Lily went towards him and touched her hand out to stroke his cheek. He nearly dropped the Quaffle, and Lily ripped it out of his hands. She scored once more. When it was one hundred to seventy girls, the boys began to catch on. James planted a solid kiss on Lily's mouth as she grabbed the Quaffle, and she promptly dropped it. He winked at her as he passed, causing her mouth to go dry.

After Sirius prevented Gwen getting the Snitch by snogging her, and she had come to her senses and slapped him, Lily called a time out. The score was one hundred ten to one hundred, the boys.

"Gwen! Catch the Snitch!" she hissed, pushing sweat out of her eyes.

Gwen scowled. "What do you think I've been doing out there? Ballet?"

"No, you haven't been concentrating on your part of the game," said Lily. "Don't look at what I'm doing or what Celeste is doing – just concentrate on that Snitch!"

With a new determination the girls returned to the game. Celeste made a spectacular save; Hayley deflected Bludgers from her teammates like never before. Lily forced herself to not look at James, and Gwen forced herself to not look at Sirius. 

Lily was about to score when Gwen dove steeply. Lily followed her eyes to a glittering gold ball with wings hovering near the bottom of on of the golden hoops. Remus was speeding towards it himself, a look of dread on his face, when Gwen pulled out of the dive victorious. 

"Yes!" she yelled, clutching the golden ball tightly. Lily hugged her, followed by Hayley and Celeste, and Marie-Claire, smiling, called out the final score:

"Two 'undred-fiftee to one 'undred-ten! Congrashulations, girls!"

Lily turned to James, grinning. "Do you still want to marry me, even though we beat the pants off of you?"

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Yes. You never cease to amaze me – that was wonderful flying."

"You mean, you weren't going easy on me?" she asked with amusement, her eyebrows raised, and her arms around his waist.

 They both winced when they heard Sirius loudly calling for a rematch, claiming Gwen shouldn't have been put up against Remus, who hated to fly.

"Shut it, you stupid prat, we won!" Gwen yelled.

Lily rolled her eyes and allowed James to fold her into his arms, not caring that he was sweaty. 

"Just think," he murmured into her hair, "this time tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Lily Potter."

Lily smiled. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"It does," he agreed honestly. "Lily and James Potter."

"Perfect," she smiled. Just then, the door opened and Mrs. Watson came out. She nearly fainted at their sweaty appearances. "Lily! You're getting married in three…" she trailed off when she spotted her daughter, who was currently very busy shutting Sirius up. "Oh, heavens," she said faintly. 

Gwen pulled back and blushed. "Mum!"

"Gwendolyn…you – oh…come, Lily dear."

Lily stifled a laugh and looked James straight in the eyes. "This is the last time you'll be able to say when meeting new people, 'Hello, my name it James Potter, and this is Lily Evans, my fiancée'. Now you'll say, 'Hello, my name is James Potter, and this is my wife Lily.'"

"I can't wait," he said, his brown eyes wide. "I love you so much."

She smiled. "Even with no makeup and sweat everywhere?"

"Lily, I'd still love you if you walked 'round with a paper bag on your head."

"Good. I'm afraid you'll fall in love with me all over again once you see my gown," she looked over at Gwen. "It's amazing."

"I'm sure it is." They stood there, searching each others eyes, until Gwen felt a little tug on her arm. She turned unwillingly, to see Gwen, with Hayley and Celeste standing a little behind, looking at her. 

 Her sapphire eyes were full of tears. She hugged James, and then solemnly took Lily's hand and led her away. Hayley grabbed her other hand, and Celeste took Gwen's arm. 

"C'mon, Lils. Let's go get you married."

A/N: Horrible me, I know. And don't worry, I swear, the wedding is next chapter. There's no way I wouldn't do it. Anyway, review, and you'll get the chapter soon! 

Want to read the chapters before they're posted on ff.net and Schnoogle? Want to meet me, the famous beta's, and discuss SoL? Want to get little snippets of the upcoming chapter to tide you over? Join my yahoo group!

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	20. Till Death Do Us Part

A/N: This picks up right where the last chapter ended. Tissues are strongly recommended. 

Thanks to my lone beta, ReineDansante, and my absent beta, Snowlily, and my nifty friends, Cquill13, Xaviera Xylira, and Hermione Gulliver. Love you all bunches! Yeah, this is part songfic…which is Mandy Moore's "It's Gonna Be Love". Enjoy.

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**The Story of Lily**

_Say that you'll stay forever this way_

_Forever and forever, that we'll_

_Never have to change_

_Don't move, _

_Don't breath,_

_Don't change,_

_Don't leave_

_And promise me, say_

_You'll stay…_

_Oh, we'll stay_

_This way…_

_~Courtesy Jewel's "This Way"_

Chapter Twenty: 'Till Death Do Us Part

The next three hours passed in a second for Lily. One moment she was sitting down, having the strange hairstylist putting her hair into soft ringlets and then pulling it up halfway under Katharine's critical eye, and then fitting the veil on. Then she was sitting back watching as the hairstylist pulled Celeste's dark brown hair, Hayley's golden blonde hair, and Gwen's black hair up, all in the same complicated twist. Next came makeup – Lily didn't put much on, just enough to accent her finest feature – her eyes – and cover up her small flaws. Then, when they could put it off no longer, the bridesmaids got into their dark green wedding robes. 

"You all look stunning," Lily beamed at them. "Really gorgeous. You know, this reminds me-"

"Li-ly," Gwen interrupted sternly.

Lily heaved a sigh and turned around, where Ella was holding her gown. They went into the bathroom and the older woman helped Lily dress silently. When she was finished, Lily gazed into the mirror at herself. With the makeup and hair, she looked prettier than ever.

_Is that woman really me? She wondered, peering at herself closely. She flicked a dark red ringlet out of her face and bit her lip._

Ella, tears streaming down her face, opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She simply kissed Lily on both cheeks and left. Soon after, Celeste came in, smiling shyly. 

"Lily, you look really pretty," she said honestly. "I'm super glad you picked me to be a bridesmaid."

Lily smiled and smoothed down Celeste's hair. "You're my sister just as much as Hayley and Gwen are, you know. The little sister I never had. I'm honored to have you as a bridesmaid."

Celeste smiled and hugged her tightly, and scampered out, wiping her teary eyes. Lily sat down to wait for the next person – Hayley. She walked in, already wiping her eyes, and shut the door. She dragged a chair over to Lily and sat down, taking her hands. 

"Have you thought about how well 'Lily' and 'Potter' go together?" Hayley said first with a little laugh through her tears. "They go really, really well," her voice was getting higher and higher. "And I'm really happy for you, I am. Not just because your names go well together-" her voice broke, but she kept going, "-but because _you go so well together."_

"Thank you," Lily whispered, hugging her tightly. "And I wish more than anything that Mary Katherine could be here."

"She is," Hayley choked, a little sob racking her body. "She is, she is, I know it, and she doesn't blame you in the least."

"You knew her the best," said Lily, crying. "And she doesn't blame me?"

"No, not at all." She pulled back and reached for a tissue. She handed one to Lily and used one herself. "Luckily this makeup is water proof," she joked feebly. 

Lily smiled, and Hayley squeezed her hand before leaving. Lily stood, knowing who was coming next – Gwen. She gave a little sob when she saw Lily, and they met each other in the middle in a silent hug. Both knew that trying to say all that needed to be said in the few minutes Lily had left was impossible.

"I don't deserve your friendship, Lily," she whispered. "I'm horrid compared to you."

"You do deserve it, Gwen," Lily whispered passionately back. "We may be opposites, but no one understands me more than you do. I love you, Gwen."

There they were. Those three words had always been there, but had never been said aloud. Gwen gave another sob.

"Oh, I love you too, Lily!"

How much longer they stayed there holding each other neither ever knew, but when Katharine came in, they knew it was time. Gwen grabbed a tissue and ducked out without looking at Lily, for which she was grateful – they would never have stopped bawling if that happened. 

Katharine came over and straightened Lily's perfect gown, and then locked her brown eyes with Lily's green. Words passed through them unsaid; they were both victims of the Potter men's love – that was enough. As Lily hugged her, breathing in her scent, she suddenly understood – if James was killed, there was no way Lily could survive. A choked noise escaped her throat at that prospect, and Katharine, as if knowing what she was thinking, hugged her tighter. 

Lily's thoughts were drawn to the subject she had tried so hard not to think of: Aunt Violet. It seemed so long ago that Violet had been alive, and she wondered: what would have happened to Lily's life if Violet hadn't been killed? Would Violet be walking her down the isle, or would Orion, instead of his son? They were the only parents Lily had known – what would she be like now if they hadn't been killed?

"Lily," Katharine whispered in her ear, and Lily came back to life rather abruptly. "Lily, you must call me 'mum' now, darling."

Lily suddenly had trouble breathing. Katharine went on, "Ever since I saw you and James dancing together at the Ministry Ball, back when you were eleven, I was reminded of myself. I too lost my mother and father at a young age, to the wizard Grindelwald, you know, and my heart went out to you. I wanted you to start calling me Mum right then and there, but didn't know you well enough."

Lily swallowed. "Don't leave us, please," she begged. "I've just got a mother, I don't want – I don't want her-"

"Lily, you must understand – I love Harry and James more than life, and this way, I can make peace with this world, knowing my James is safe in your arms, and be with my love, my husband, my life. You'll always be my daughter, Lily, and you and only you can understand the love we both share for the Potter men." She pulled back, a small smile on her face. 

Lily smiled weakly too. 

"There's a good girl. I'll give you a few moments alone, but only a few. I love you, Lily."

"I love you too – Mum."

Katharine left, the word 'mum' hanging in her wake. "Mum," Lily said again to herself. The word felt alien on her tongue, but she realized – she would rather call Katharine 'mum' than anyone else. 

Lily dried her tears, thanked God for the water-proof magical makeup, and took a deep breath before sailing out of the door. She and the bridesmaids were escorted to a small tent. Lily got a glimpse of the isle and all the guests assembled, before disappearing inside it. Ella kissed her wordlessly and left, followed by Elizabeth and Katharine.

"Right, Gwen, you know what to do, you're leading the procession," Gwen said to herself, wringing her hands. "I can do this, I can do this. I've got your ring."

Lily smiled, "Go out there, girls. The music is about to start."

They left with fearful glances at her, and a whispered conversation ensued outside and then Sirius entered, his face pale. What little color was in it drained when he saw Lily. 

"God, if I wasn't in love with Gwen…" he muttered, his dark eyes wide. 

Lily giggled and held her arms out for a hug; he obliged, lifting her up and squeezing her tightly. 

"You look spectacular, Lily. And my Gwennie designed this gown?" he marveled, holding her at arms length.

"Every stitch," Lily said proudly. Just then, the music Lily had chosen for the beginning of the wedding started, and Lily's already fast heart rate sped up. She grabbed Sirius's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"You're fine. I'm not fine, but you're fine," he said, breathing deeply. 

The music ended too quickly in Lily's opinion, and soon, the first notes of The Bridal March came on. Lily threaded her arm through Sirius's, and together, they stepped out of the tent. She fixed a small smile on her face and nodded at the guests, who were looking at her emotionally, and then willed herself to look straight forward. Peter and Remus were standing off to the right of the gazebo, Gwen, Hayley, and Celeste off to the left. In the middle on the top step, grinning broadly, was Albus Dumbledore, and, just to his right, looking at Lily as if he were in a daze, was James. They locked eyes as he came forward, and Lily forced herself to look at Sirius next to her. A single tear dripped down his cheek as he lifted her veil, kissed her on the cheek, and put her hand in James's. A silent exchange went between the two men, and then Sirius stepped back behind James. James led Lily up the two stairs of the gazebo, standing before Dumbledore.

Lily knew she should listen to the words her old headmaster was saying, but her thoughts drifted to more "what-ifs". If Iris Evans hadn't died, would Petunia be standing with Lily's bridesmaids? Lily had invited her, but hadn't expected her to come or R.S.V.P., like the invitation asked. If Iris hadn't died, would he have walked her down the isle instead of Sirius? Would she have another little sibling?        

  She realized just in time that Dumbledore was speaking to her. 

"Lily Carolyn, do you take this man, James William Potter, to be your lawfully wedding husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

_It's gonna be love,_

_It's gonna be great_

__

Lily locked eyes with James. "I do," she said quietly, steadily, and turned to Gwen. Gwen was holding the green pillow – the color of Lily's eyes and the bridesmaids' robes - with Lily's wedding band on it, and she handed Lily her wand. Lily tapped the golden band and said, "_Adorus Totallus!"_

It emitted a blinding gold light, just as it had done at the other two weddings Lily had been present at, and flew in front of Dumbledore, who beamed and turned to James.

_It's gonna be more than I can take_

"James William, do you take this woman, Lily Carolyn Evans, to be your lawfully wedding wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he murmured, sending pleasant shivers over Lily, who gave him a small smile. He turned to Sirius, who, in turn, had to be prodded by Remus. He took out the green pillow, smiling sheepishly, and held James's wand out to him. 

"_Adorus Totalus!"_

The light it emitted was just as blinding, and Lily felt her heart swell. It floated over to Dumbledore, who raised his wand. 

_It's gonna be free_

_It's gonna be real_

"_Ius Coniubium!" he cried, and the wedding bands sprang together. They were together for a full minute, in which titters went up from the crowd, but then pulled apart and traveled slowly to the correct finger. _

"And now, with the power vested in me, I pronounce thee, Lily Carolyn and James William, man and wife!"

Lily smiled at James, who was smiling also. He looked up at Dumbledore.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Potter, you may kiss the bride," he said hastily, and the assembled chuckled.

James leaned in, still holding her hands, and they met in a sweet kiss that left Lily's lips tingly. They turned and smiled at everyone; there wasn't a dry eye. 

_It's gonna change everything I feel_

Lily put her arm through James's and smiled adoringly at him, he kissed her swiftly again before they headed down the isle. Flower petals were showered on them, and they smiled happily, before lining up to greet the guests. Lily gave out so many hugs in the next thirty minutes and smiled so much she thought her face would split.

Finally they moved into the wedding tent area, but before they could drink or do anything, the photographer cornered them. They were set up and smiled happily into the camera. Then he got a shot of Lily and Sirius, Lily and Gwen, Lily and James, and James and Sirius. Finally he got one of the four of them together. 

Hayley had tears in her eyes when they moved. "I want that picture."

Lily assured her she would get it, and then were escorted into the tent. 

"Aha!" Minister Watson called, seeing them. 

He whispered to the band, and the lead singer said loudly, "Now presenting, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. James and Lily Potter!"

Lily and James beamed, and cameras flashed. The band struck up a waltz, and the newlyweds moved into the center of the floor. They began dancing, perfectly in tune, and soon others joined in, but to Lily and James, there was no one else in the world.    

_It's gonna be sad_

_It's gonna be true_

"I love you," he said intently, a piece of black hair falling into his brown eyes. 

She reached her hand out and brushed it away. "I love you too."

"More than you can imagine, Lily," he continued, grabbing her hand. "More than life. When you said I would fall in love with you again seeing you in this gown, I didn't think it was possible. But it happened, Lily, it did…you're spectacular, you know."

Hearing it from Gwen was one thing. But hearing it from James was almost entirely different. "Thank you. James, I love you more than life too – your mum-" she stopped, her throat blocked. "Our mum, told me about how in love she is with Mr. Potter, enough that she'd die for him, and I know what she means. I'd die for you – I wouldn't hesitate-"

"I know," he whispered, wiping her eyes. "I know."

_It's gonna be you're the one to do_

They danced until they had to sit down for dinner. They joined their wedding party at a circular table on a raised platform, and enjoyed the lovely dinner of pork chops. Then it was time for Sirius and Gwen to make their speeches. They stood up together.

"Right, well," Sirius said, smiling at everyone, "This has definitely been one of the best days of my life. When Lily asked me to walk her down the isle…I really wondered what I'd done to deserve such a sister or whatever you'd call her. I think of her as a sister, at least. That, combined with being my best mate's Best Man made this perfect for me."

He stopped for a minute and then looked up at Lily and James. "When they broke up for a month, it seemed to me like the world was crumbling. They might not know it, but their relationship has been a sign to us that things can still go right these days."

_It's gonna be hard,_

_It's gonna be tough_

He looked at them and smiled. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be all serious like this. It isn't something I'm good at," he said to the guests, who chuckled. "And so, I say, may your love prosper and grow, and may you always be happy."

He picked up his champagne and saluted them. "Here, here!" the guests cried, and they clinked glasses. Sirius sat back down. 

Gwen took a breath and smiled apologetically at James and Lily. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to be serious as well…I hope you don't mind. I knew Lily had feelings for James ages ago, back when they met for the first time. I love them both so very much, and it's been my secret desire to see them married. They've both suffered many losses, they've both suffered blows to their relationship, but it's only made their love stronger, in my opinion. Their marriage is a sign of what we all need to be now, united, in the face of these horrible times. I love you Lily, just as the sister I never had, and James, as the brother I never had. I'm honored to be your Maid of Honor, and may you always be happy together."

_It's gonna be more than just enough_

She raised her glass once more, and they drank to Lily and James again. Lily smiled through her tears and sipped some of her own champagne. The cake – butter-cream with almond – was brought in front of them; they stood.

"Here we go," Lily said, holding up the ornate silver knife. James put his hand on top of hers, and they sliced into the bottom layer of the cake. Onto a plate it went, and Lily took a piece with her fingers. "Open up," she grinned. He did so obediently, his eyes twinkling, and she popped the piece in.

"Mmm," he said, and gave the guests a thumbs up. Lily savored this moment – it was perfect. Music was playing lightly in the background, some people were chatting, some were watching, someone was flashing pictures…it was made even more perfect when she tasted her cake – even better than the sample piece had been those many months ago. She got a little bit of icing and wiped it on James's nose. He made a noise of protest, but got his revenge by smearing icing on her cheek. She finally surrendered a few moments later, and accepted the wet cloth Gwen offered her and wiped her face and her husband's.  

_It's gonna be love, oh_

_Oh, it's gonna be love_

They had a proper piece of cake, and then James muttered, "Shall we go?"

Lily nodded, and they stood. "Thank you all for coming, but I'm afraid we must be going to our honeymoon destination."

The guests cheered, and the newlyweds said their goodbyes; they wouldn't be seeing anyone else for an entire month. Then they Apparated away amidst flower petals.

_It's gonna be sad, _

_It's gonna be true_

~*~*~*~*

The two arrived in Majorca seconds later in the designated Apparating point. They were welcomed heartily by wizards in white robes, and shown to the bungalow on the beach where they would be staying for the next month. After the house elf left from turning down the bed, they relaxed. For the first time since that afternoon, they were completely alone.

_It's gonna be me, baby_

_It's gonna be you_

They stood in each others arms for a few long moments. She figured this was as good a time as any to ask what she had been dying to know.

She pulled back, resting her forehead on his. "James?"

"Mmmh?"

"Are you – are you a virgin?"

He stiffened and tilted his forehead away. "You are."

"Well, yes, I know that, and so do you. I told you, but you've never told me."

"No, I'm not," he sighed. "I was ruthless at school, Lily."

"When did you…?"

"End of sixth year, when I really gave up on you."

"Did you…er…"

"Like it? Sort of, I suppose. I bet it'll be better this time around."

Lily was scarlet. "Oh. Right, okay."

He grinned and caught her eyes. "I've made you uncomfortable, haven't I?"

She grinned back and sat down on the big bed, bringing him with her. "I love you, James Potter," she whispered, and her tone held such a note of compassion, her smile so loving and true, that the words James wanted to say died in his throat. What in God's name had he done to deserve her? And Lily smiled her gorgeous smile and traced little butterfly kisses along his sturdy jaw, relishing that he belonged to her forever, and she to him. And they made love, with the sweet scent of June's nights cloaking them in enchantment, the candle's flames dancing lively in the soft breeze that snuck through the open windows.

Later Lily lay drowsily awake; James's steady breathing on her neck and his arm around her waist reminding her of what they had just shared. They had both decided it was too early for children, and took necessary precautions. She felt entirely content, entirely whole. Thoughts of what was happening in the world right now were miles away, and she fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

_It's gonna be…it's gonna be love…_

~*~*~*~*

The honeymoon was spent in a delightful haze of swimming, lying in the sun, dancing at night, and various other activities. However, like all good things, this one had to come to an end. They were called home one week early to devastating news.

Katharine was dying.

"_What?!"__  Lily gasped upon hearing the news. She and James had just Apparated in front of the Potter's house, where Sirius was waiting. He took her arm and helped her inside, James bringing up the rear. _

"Where is she?" James asked, frenzied. 

"In – in her bedroom," Gwen whispered. Lily and James hurried through the house, ignoring people who tried to speak with them, and burst into the bedroom. Katharine Potter was propped up on pillows, thinner and paler than ever, but looking completely calm. Celeste was by her side in tears; this was her godmother dying. Lily went to her and ushered her outside, so to give James and his mother some privacy. Without a word she hugged the little sixteen-year-old tightly. 

"Darling?"

Lily lifted her head to look at James. He was strangely calm, and walked over to Lily. "She is dying, and wants to speak with you." He turned to Celeste and gave her a small smile. "She loves you very much, Celeste…come talk with me, won't you?"

James led Celeste away, and Lily took a deep breath and walked into Katharine's bedroom. 

"Lily," she whispered, smiling. "Come."

Lily sat down on the floor next to her bed and held her bony hand. 

"I'm dying today, Lily, I know, and I want none of your tears. Hopefully now you know the love Harry and I share, a love that can never be broken, never strained. I know that you love James as much as I do, though in a different way, but it does still count."

"Don't you want to see your grandchildren?" Lily whispered, tightening her grip on Katharine's hand. 

"Ah, but I shall. And you will tell them all about their grandparents, and they will know me, just as I know you now. And Lily – just because I'm not alive – that doesn't mean I'm not your mother."

"I love you, Mum," Lily said, tears blinding her vision. She leaned her forehead on Katharine's hand and sniffled. Another hand lifted her chin up. 

"No tears, Lily."

~*~*~*~*

_No tears, Lily, she told herself three days later, __no tears. Katharine doesn't want you to be sad for her, because now she is happy._

Her eyes strayed to the people around – Katharine had got her wish. Not one of the immediate family – that is, the Potters, Blacks, Lupins, Watsons, and Ella – were crying. They were all staring solemnly as her casket was lowered, not a foot from Harry's. A moment of silence was kept as the dirt was poured in, and then they trooped back into the house. Lily, Celeste, James, and Sirius shook hands and took condolences, until the last person, besides Gwen, was gone. 

James exhaled loudly and sat down in a nearby chair. "Thank God that's over."

Sirius nodded soberly, and held his hand out to Gwen. "We're going on home, then. Coming, Celeste?"

Sirius, now of age, was Celeste's legal guardian, and she would be living with him and Gwen in the Black's house until she finished school. Celeste went and put her hand in his, and together they Flooed home. 

Lily sat down on the couch opposite James's chair. "I agree with you – thank God that's over."

James smiled and scooted over, making room for her in the chair. She sat down and rested her head on his chest as he played with her hair. 

"What next?" she murmured sleepily.

"Oh! That reminds me!" James said suddenly, sitting up. Lily moaned in protest, but he dragged her on her feet anyway. "This is my wedding present to you, so you don't have to be tortured at night anymore."

She raised an eyebrow, quite confused, but followed him into the master bedroom anyway. She stopped dead in the doorway.

"I had it moved in this morning," James said proudly.

"It's not-"

"No, it isn't the real bed, I had it copied exactly."

"Thank you," she whispered, running her hands over the carved lilies. 

"I want you to be perfectly happy."

She turned to him – he was still standing in the doorway. "James, bed or no bed, I'm very happy, you know."

"I know, I know." He smiled sadly, and she crossed to him and hugged him tightly. 

"We're not supposed to be sad."

"Yes."

"Then why are you?"

"They're happy tears, Lily. Sort of."

"I don't like it when you cry, happy tears or not."

Silence. Then – 

"I don't like to cry either. 'S not very manly."

Lily giggled. "And you're manly anyway?"

"Ahh, you're asking for it."

"And what are you going to do, huh, Mr. Potter?"

"What should I do, Mrs. Potter?"

"Hmmm-"

"Never mind. Want to see if the bed works?"

~*~*~*~*

"No."

"Lily, you _said you would, after we were married."_

"So?"

"We've been married _three months."_

"Well, so?"

"You've broken your promise."

"Listen to me, James Potter, I didn't promise _anything."_

"Fine, you _said you would go work for the Ministry after we were married!"_

Lily bit her lip hard and put her tea down on the table a bit more forcefully than necessary. "James, you're treading on dangerous ground."

"Lily, listen to me for a change, won't you, instead of acting like a three year old!"

The redhead glared at him. "I've said it once and I'll say it again: I'm not ready."

"When will you be ready?" He wasn't going to let it lie this time. "When you're fifty? Because that's what it's looking like from here."

She made a noise of exasperation. "Well, fine, you'll be the first to know, don't worry."

"That's _it, Lily Carolyn," James cried, also slamming his cup on the counter. "You can't intimidate me. I'm the only one – well, except Gwen – that you can't intimidate, and you can't win me over by acting innocent, like you can with Sirius and occasionally Gwen. __It won't work. Got it? You will consider, seriously, quitting your job at Flourish and Blotts and joining the Ministry-"_

"How dare you tell me what to-" 

"Everyone has been patient until now, saying your reluctance was due to the fact that you're a newlywed, but now even the most patient – like Dumbledore – are wondering what the _hell is going on with you-"_

"James! This isn't your decision! You don't know my reasons – you don't know _half of what goes on in my mind!"_

They stood there, breathing heavily, glaring at each other from across the table, when it suddenly struck Lily – this was the first argument they'd ever had. Some of her shock must have been evident on her face, because James's expression softened a notch. 

"The Lily Carolyn Evans Potter that I know loves helping people. She hates standing by and watching, hates not being in the thick of things. Deny those right now truthfully, and I'll back off."

Lily hated that he was right. She didn't say anything.

"Was it marriage, Lily? Was it Mary Katherine's death? Was it something as trivial as a defective Summoner? It could be any or all of those things, but I wonder – what happened to the Lily I used to know?"

"She wised up, James!" Lily was angry now. Her husband had touched a nerve. "Saw what had been in front of her face since she turned thirteen! I can't help them – I don't know how! Violet should be here! She's the one right for the job – not me! I hate it that you think you know everything about me, James! You don't! So don't go poke your nose in where you don't belong!"

She stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs, to her new favorite spot in the house – the upstairs study. She flung herself into an armchair and brooded for a bit. James would be up in a moment, would say he was sorry, and she would forgive him and everything would be normal. 

As the minutes ticked by, she began to wonder what was taking him so long. Finally, her name rang up the stairs.

"Lily? I've had a call from work."

If she strained her ears, Lily could here the shrill whistling of the Summoner. 

"I'll be back later. Goodbye." His tone was flat.

Lily said nothing. A moment later, the door was opened and closed. He was gone. 

_Well, fine, she huffed to herself. __If he wants to be stubborn, then fine. I will be too. I won't even think of – of that man__ while he's__ gone. Yes._

~*~*~*~*

"Mrs. Potter? Mrs. Potter, are you in?"

Lily walked curiously into the living room, to see a man's head in the fire – she recognized him as Mundungus Fletcher, her old Division Head. It was dark outside – nearly seven o'clock, she found with a start. She had been so caught up in a Muggle novel she had found in the study upstairs, she had forgotten even to eat. 

"Yes?" she asked, beginning to get slightly worried. Where was James?

"We have some news – I think you should come down here."

Lily's hand tightened around _Rebecca, the book she was reading. "What's happened?" she breathed._

Mundungus shook his head. "Come down, please."

And he was gone.

Lily didn't stop to think as she grabbed her cloak – it was chilly, even for November – dashed out the door so she was free of the anti-Apparation wards (she didn't feel like tearing a hole – it would be more work to fix), and was gone in the blink of an eye.

She found herself a second later in the bustling safe Apparation chamber at the Ministry, and was just in time to hear a shrieked, "_What?!" that had unmistakably been uttered from Gwen's mouth. She wove through the crowd frantically, until she came to a small group – Mundungus, Arabella Figg, and Gwen. _

"Lily!" Gwen cried, her face one of shocked disbelief and her voice higher than natural, "Giants!"

"What?"

Arabella laid a comforting hand on Gwen's shoulder, and Mundungus sighed, looking very tired. "Jo sent Division Two and Division Three in to help save a small village of Muggles up north from giants…one of the giants managed to capture your husband, Black, and three other Aurors."

Lily was having trouble breathing. "Wait – these giants, are they Death Eaters?"

"We have no way of knowing, Mrs. Potter."

"Then why the _hell did you sent Aurors, __Dark wizard catchers, in to fight beings that might not be dark, instead of the damn M.L.E.S. wizards?" Gwen's crystal eyes were popping in fury._

"And where are my husband and brother now?" Lily interrupted sharply.

Mundungus was distinctly nervous. "We aren't sure – eyewitnesses say the giants went into caves in the side of the mountain – Mount Kywiian."

"What was this village called, again?"

"Tmyjeen."

"Well, it was nice talking to you – goodbye."

Lily Disapparated, and found herself a second later on the outskirts of a completely wrecked little town.   

Gwen appeared right next her. Lily would've been thoroughly offended had she not come.  

They surveyed the wrecked homes, crying people, and M.L.E.S. having a field day running around Obliviating everyone.

"Lily!"

A tall, redheaded man came towards them, smiling. He extended his hand. "How are you?"

 "Oh, Arthur," Lily said, attempting a smile. "We're - okay."

Arthur shook hands with Gwen too, who was looking as though she badly needed to use the toilet in her anxiety.

"Have you heard anything about…?"

"No, no, not yet. I'm a member of the Accidental Magical Reverse Squad – this is our biggest job yet, I'd say. But I don't know anything about it – except, of course, they have James Potter and Sirius Black. Your wedding was beautiful, by the way."

Gwen let out a piteous whimper, and Lily glanced sharply at her before turning back to Arthur. "Thank you. Er – which mountain were they taken up, did you say?" she asked casually.

Arthur pointed into the distance, over a grassy plain, where a dark mound rose up. "That one. Mount Kywiian."

"Right, it's been lovely talking to you, Arthur."

"You too – I sincerely hope James returns safely." He smiled, before disappearing into the wreckage. Lily glanced around before jerking her best friend behind a tree. 

"Listen to me, Gwen. We can't stand by and let James and Sirius be eaten by giants."

Gwen whimpered again.

"Gwen, would you snap out of it?! I need your help!"

The raven-haired girl breathed deeply, before squaring her shoulders. "Uh huh. Help. And you're right, we can't stand by and watch. So – what did you have in mind?"

Lily wrung her hands – a nervous habit. "Erm – go rescue them?" she said half-heartedly, desperately trying to come up with a plan.

"Good thinking, Lily! We'll rescue them!"

Lily met Gwen's blue eyes disbelievingly. "What? I was kidding."

"Well, I'm not. I'm Apparating to the base of that mountain, marching up there, and demanding they hand over Sirius!"

"And James!" Lily cried.

"Yeah, him too. Come on!"

And in the blink of an eye, the space Gwen had been was empty. Lily looked over her shoulder and was just in time to see Jo Krespin, Head of the Auror Department, appear and begin looking around. That sent the last of her doubts from her mind, and she Disapparated. 

She Apparated in knee-high grass at the base of a barren mountain that looked impossibly dark. 

"Took you long enough."

Lily uttered a cry and spun around. Gwen's face was illuminated by her wand light, and Lily copied her.

"_Lumos! Gwen! Don't __do that!"_

"Sorry. Come on, we've got some climbing to do."

She started up a path, but Lily was still stationary. "Why is there a path, anyway? That's too small for giants to walk on."

"Sheep herders? I dunno. Just come on!"

On the way up, Lily, huffing and puffing, told Gwen all about her argument with James. When she was finished, Gwen said, "Good heavens, Lily. That's horrible. But did you-" 

"Ahh!"

"What?" Gwen cried, grabbing onto Lily's shoulder. 

"Did you hear that?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Hear what?"

"That noise," Lily's heart was going incredibly fast. "In the bushes right next to me, something moved."

"Lily, there are animals on this mountain, did you think of that?"

Lily gave a nervous laugh. "Animals, right. Of course."

A little while later, when they were quiet because talking took too much energy, Gwen spotted something.

"A light! Do you see it?"

Lily squinted. Sure enough, in the distance, she could see a bright light. They fairly ran up the path, the bright light getting closer and closer. 

"It's a cave mouth! Do – you – see?"

"Yeah – I – see."

They topped the rise onto flat ground, were Lily bent over, breathing heavily. "Good thing we've had Auror training, or else that would have been much harder. Don't you think? Gwen?"

Lily looked up to see that her friend's mouth had gone oddly slack. "Let's go inside, Lily," she said in a monotonous voice.

 "Gwen, we can't just barge in there, there are _giants-"_

"No, it's safe," she said again, still monotonous.

"What's wrong with you? And how do you know?"

"I just do," there was a definite desperate note in her voice. She put her hand around Lily's wrist. "Let's go in."

Lily stood still. Something was really not right. She took out her Adviser powers and crept in through Gwen's ear. There wasn't a thought in her brain, except _Get her inside, get her inside, get her inside…_

"The Imperious Curse! Gwen, let go of me! You're under a curse!" Lily shrieked, trying to worm out of her iron grip. The hand that held her wrist tightened. 

"What's this rubbish you're talking about? I'm perfectly fine, Lily. Come on." Still monotonous.

"No!" Lily took out her wand with her free left hand and pointed it at Gwen. "_Finite Incantatem!"_

The vacant look passed from her eyes, and she stumbled. "Lily, what-"

"Alright, then. If you want to do this the hard way."

Lily froze at the sound of the horrible, high, chilling voice, like nails on a chalkboard. She turned slowly towards the cave entrance, dreading what she would see. There he was. Lord Voldemort, a tall figure clothed in black and standing in the mouth of the cave. 

"Take the spare," he barked to someone behind him. Three men ran forwards and took Gwen before Lily remembered to act. She Stunned one of them so powerfully that when Lord Voldemort leaned down and checked his pulse, he pronounced the man dead.

"Very good, Miss Evans. Or – isn't it Mrs. Potter now?"

Lily said nothing, just glared at him with a hatred she didn't know she possessed. 

"Let's make this simple, Lily. Either come calmly with us now, or I make sure a certain husband of yours is disposed of." He smiled cruelly and held his arm out to her. 

Lily walked over to him, but made no move to take his arm. Voldemort shrugged, smirking, and swept into the cave. It had a dirt floor and was damp and drippy, what you would expect for a cave. They swept through so many tunnels that Lily stopped keeping count, but finally arrived in a small chamber. It had a crude cot, a fireplace, a chair, a hole that must have been used as a privy, and a table. Lord Voldemort bowed her in mockingly.

"Your suite, Mrs. Potter."

Lily whirled to face him. "How long are you keeping me here? And where is my family?"

"As long as I need to, and in a cell somewhere. Good evening, Miss Adviser."

He left and in his wake, two wizards in masks took out their wands. Lily raised her wand, thinking they were going to attack, but they simply rolled a stone over the entrance, leaving a hole in the top so Lily could get some air.

She looked around dejectedly. What was going to happen to her? And worse, what was going to happen to James and Sirius and Gwen? 

An iron hand gripped her heart – without them, Lily wouldn't be able to live…And James – what was the last thing she had said to him? Something about not poking your nose in where you don't belong…?

She sat down on the little cot and put her head in her hands, trying to get her cool head back. She started when a grinding noise sounded – the "door" was being opened – and a poor, pitiful-looking creature entered – a house-elf, carrying a tray.

It had a crooked nose, was wearing a particularly horrible towel, and was very thin. Lily stood up, and the house-elf took a trembling bow.

"I is Rommy, miss. I is changing your bed and tidying up your room, miss."

Lily walked over to Rommy, and the poor elf – she thought it was a boy – squeezed his huge blue eyes shut as if expecting Lily to hit him. Instead she knelt in front of the elf and smiled. 

"It's very nice to meet you, Rommy. I'm Lily."

Rommy opened one eye and started violently when he saw Lily so close to him, and backed up a few steps. 

"It is nice meeting you too, miss. I is-" he looked around, hesitating. "I is sorry you is staying in such a bad place, Miss Lily," Rommy whispered. "Rommy tried to make it more nicer but Rommy didn't have much to work with, miss."

Lily smiled again. "It's fine. Tell me, who do you work for?"

"I is working for the Rosier's. Rommy's master brought Rommy here, and I is not knowing why." He was still whispering and looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Ah. Well, thank you, Rommy – I'm glad to have a friend."

"Miss Lily – Miss Lily thinks _Rommy is a friend?" Rommy's huge eyes were even bigger at this._

"Of course."

"You is not bad, I is thinking," Rommy observed.

"Who told you I was bad?"

Rommy looked stricken. "No one! No one is saying Miss Lily is bad! I must go, Miss Lily!"

And with that, he walked quickly to the stone and began rolling it away with his own magic. 

"Rommy – wait!"

The small elf turned around, shaking slightly. "Miss Lily is needing something?"

"No – well, I was wondering – are you serving my friends? The other prisoners?"

Rommy shook her head wonderingly. Lily bowed her own head, fighting back tears.

"Rommy could – Rommy could ask around if Miss Lily wants," Rommy offered in a whisper.

"Would you?" Lily's eyes were filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

"I is going now, Miss Lily."

Lily watched the house-elf leave with a slight smile on her face. At least she had made a friend. She turned to her dinner – a roll, green beans, a strange-looking casserole, and water. Lovely. 

~*~*~*~*

"Miss Lily. Miss Lily!"

Lily was shaken awake by the anxious-looking Rommy the next morning. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was, and when she did, she sat bolt upright on her cot.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I has been sent to wake you up – Master's master is coming!"

_Master's master… "Lord Voldemort?"_

"Yes, Master's master! You is needing to get up! Goodbye, Miss Lily!"

The elf scurried away, and Lily stood, trying to comb her hair down. She had slept horribly, like she always did in strange beds, and didn't feel like dealing with stupid Voldemort. 

Lily wondered what time it was – there were no windows and she didn't wear a Muggle wristwatch. She didn't have much more time to ponder, because the stone was rolled away and Lord Voldemort strode in, his red eyes resting on Lily, his pale, thin lips twisting into a malevolent smile.

"Good morning, Lily. And how did you sleep?" 

Lily simply glared. He was taunting her, and she wouldn't rise to the bait.

"You had better be grateful. This is much nicer than where your friends are staying."

Lily swallowed hard and continued to hold his gaze. 

"Well, I can see you aren't interested in small talk, which is perfectly fine with me. It makes my job much easier, you see."

He pushed his cloak back to reveal a silver band around his waist, with a sort of scabbard tied to it, except what was inside wasn't a sword…

He took the thing inside by the top and pulled it out. The swishing sound it made was a sound that had haunted her dreams when she remembered Violet's death…And there, in all its majesty, was the Staff of Metrusia. Intricately carved with black lacquered wood and silver, it formed the Latin words that would put Lily entirely under the holders spell…

"No need to look so frightened," Voldemort said, smirking. "This is only a test run." He began saying the words that would be the end of her, and an aura of power shimmered around him. When he was finished saying the chant three times, a shot of silver edged in black hit Lily, and everything slowly went dark.

~*~*~*~*

When she came to, she was sitting in the moldy chair looking attentively at Lord Voldemort, who was in front of her, the Staff presumably back in its scabbard. Lily jumped up, feeling scared.

"What happened?! What did you do?!"

"Relax, Mrs. Potter. I did nothing of importance, simply took you for a – a test drive, shall we say?" His lip curled.

"I hate you!" she burst savagely, and before she could stop herself, a ball of fire burst from her fingertips. Voldemort dodged it, a look of alarm on his pale face, before collecting himself.

"That was very cruel, Lily," he informed her, drawing his wand. "I think I should be cruel back, don't you? _Crucio!"_

 Lily didn't have time to block it, and wasn't prepared when it hit her full-force on her chest. But that was the last time she was able to think, as immeasurable pain went coursing through her body. She was being burned with white-hot pokers, knives were digging into her, her head was splitting…

And then it stopped, and when she opened her eyes, Lord Voldemort – and the Staff of Metrusia – was gone. 

She forced herself to sit up and wiped her cheeks – she was crying. As she sat there, shaking, she tried to uncover what Voldemort had made her do while she was under the influence of the Staff, but nothing was there but a sort of block. So she would do things without knowing what she was doing…

Lily stood up and had to grab on to the table for support; her head was spinning, she was still crying, and a cold layer of sweat lined her body. 

The grinding noise that meant the stone was opening sounded; Lily drew her wand, prepared to kill anyone who entered the door, when she saw it was Rommy the house-elf, accompanied by another elf, carrying a towel and a bowl of water.

Rommy's huge blue eyes filled with tears when he saw Lily, sweaty and shaking, leaning against the table. 

"Miss Lily is hurt," the elf sniffled. "Rommy must help Miss Lily." 

Lily allowed herself to be led to the chair where she sat down, and Rommy wiped her forehead, looking paternal.

"Oh, Miss Lily," Rommy said after a moment of silence. Lily jerked out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Rommy has asked around, miss, and knows who is serving Miss Lily's family."

Lily sat up, suddenly attentive. "Who?" she suddenly remembered there was another elf in the room. "Is it you?" 

The elf had dark blue eyes and shook its head mournfully. "No, miss, I is not serving miss's family. I is Elly," she had a higher voice than Rommy, so Lily assumed Elly was a girl.

"Elly is Rommy's best friend, Miss Lily," Rommy said eagerly.

"Elly has heard much of Miss Lily's kindness, Miss Lily, and Elly was so eager to meet Miss Lily. I hope you is not minding?"

A small smile crossed Lily's face. "No, I don't mind. It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Elly. Now, who is serving my friends?"

"Two house elves by the name of Reini and Xavi. Reini, Miss Lily, is a bit…" Rommy and Elly exchanged glances.

"Very excited, she is," Elly supplied. "She is liking her job a lot, Miss Lily. She is a bit – well, _attached to the human she is serving."_

"A Mr. Sirius," Rommy put in.

Lily's smile was a bit bigger now. "Attached, do you say?"

"Yes, and Xavi likes her Mr. Potter too," Rommy said. "They also is liking the woman they serve, of course," he said hastily.

"I'm sure." An idea suddenly occurred to her. "Rommy, do you trust the elves who serve my friends?"

"Rommy does not know them very well, Miss Lily." Seeing Lily's crestfallen face he said quickly, "But Rommy and Elly will both know them soon!"

"Yes, Elly and Rommy will!" Elly put in enthusiastically.

"Good, because I was thinking…" Lily lowered her voice to a whisper. "Perhaps you could be our message carriers."

The two elves exchanged glances. "But Master is not telling us to exchange messages for Miss Lily," Rommy whispered slowly.

"But he told you to do what I want, didn't he?"

"Well, yes," Rommy said. "And…and Rommy _does want to help Miss Lily…"_

"And so does Elly!" Elly declared loudly.

"Ssshhh," Lily said, hushing her. "Good, I'm glad. Now, listen to me very, very carefully…"

~*~*~*~*

"_Ouch! Sirius, get your bloody knee __out of my stomach!"_

"You know you like it."

"Sirius, call me crazy, but I don't really _fancy it when people cut __off my air supply with their damn hellish knees!"_

"Gwen, calm down."

"Stop being so bloody reasonable, James! And why does it have to be so dark in here?!"

"Gwennie, we've been over this before, lovie."

"Ooh, I hate you, Sirius Black. And since when were _you the sensible one?"_

"Since we've been trapped in a cell for almost two days. When's lunch, d'you think?"

"Only you can think of lunch at a time like this, Black."

"Shut up, Potter. Fine. When'll we be rescued, d'you think?"

"I assume they're trying really hard right now."

"Oh, yes, of _course they are! They've had, what, twenty-some odd hours and we haven't even __heard a peek from them!"_

"Gwen…"

"James, I don't want to here it! _I'm the one who tried to lure my best friend inside…I…"_

Her angry tone had suddenly disappeared. She felt Sirius put his arms around her and she leaned into his chest, feeling tears come to her eyes. She didn't even know where the bloody hell they were, but she was sure it was a step up from hell. Freezing in some cave somewhere. At least she had Sirius and James. James put a comforting hand on her arm and she clutched his hand. 

It really was pitch-black. The only time they were able to see was when the two house elves came with their meals. God only knew what torture Lily was being subjected to.

Thinking of her best friend led to a sob escaping her throat. Sirius, as if sensing, held her tighter. Of course, he always knew what she was thinking. That was how they were.

"It's okay," he whispered into her hair. "She's – she's fine."

"I'm worried about James," she whispered back. James was obviously in his own world – his grip on her hand went slack. 

"So'm I."

They were still and silent for a moment, until light came into their view, illuminating their cell door and the other similar cells around them. The two house-elves carrying the lights unlocked their door, slipped in, and locked it back. 

Reini, the one with very dark eyes immediately offered Sirius his plate of food. "Mr. Sirius, sir!" she exclaimed breathlessly. She gave Gwen what was unmistakably a glare, as she was currently tangled up in his arms. The other house-elf was bowing profusely, looking up at James with wide, adoring eyes, whose name was Xavi. Xavi remembered to give Gwen her food, too, luckily – Gwen was beginning to feel her bad temper returning.

While the prisoners ate, the house-elves watched. Then Xavi jumped suddenly.

"Mr. James, sir! I has something to tell you!"

James looked up from mechanically eating his soup. "Yes?"

"From the house-elves Rommy and Elly!" Reini put in eagerly, placing her small hands on Sirius's leg, who exchanged glances with Gwen before smiling. 

"Do you really?"

"Yes – they is serving a girl here – a Miss Lily!"

Gwen sloshed soup down her front very ungracefully, making a strangled noise. James practically threw his bowl aside and grabbed Xavi's shoulders. "Wha-" Sirius spluttered, also putting his soup aside.

"Yes? What did they say?" James asked Xavi, who looked as though she had died and gone to heaven. 

"They is saying…they is saying…" she stuttered.

"They is giving Reini and Xavi an important message from Miss Lily!" Reini said importantly, gazing up at Sirius.

Gwen had just about had it with the star-struck elves. "For God's sake, tell us!"

Reini and Xavi glared at her. "They is saying, Miss Gwen," Xavi said huffily, "from Miss Lily, that Master's master has been mean to Miss Lily."

"Master's master – Lord Voldemort?" James cried, shaking the little elf's shoulders. 

"Yes, Master's master," Reini continued. "He is keeping Miss Lily locked up in a room upstairs."

"And today he hurt Miss Lily bad," Xavi put in, shaking her head mournfully. "We is hearing – is hearing her from the kitchen, Mr. James, sir."

"What do you mean, you heard her? Was she shouting?"

"Such shrieks Reini has never heard," Reini said, her eyes wide. "Master's master hurt Miss Lily bad."

"_Crucio," the three prisoners said together, horror struck. "Is she alright now?" James asked eagerly. _

"Elly and Rommy told Xavi and Reini that she is."

"Is that it? Did they say anything else?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Yes, Miss Lily says that she loves you all," Reini said.

Gwen whimpered and leaned back, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill. James looked at her anxiously before turning to Xavi. "Can you send her a message back?"

"We could," Xavi said a bit doubtfully. "If that is what Mr. James and Mr. Sirius want. And Miss Gwen," she added.

"Tell her from me that I love her with my whole heart and I'm so sorry for the argument we got into," James instructed, his voice becoming choked. 

"And love from me too," Sirius put in.

"Yes, and tell her to be brave from us all, and love from me as well," Gwen added.  

Xavi was looking at James intently. "You is arguing with Miss Lily?"

Gwen could have hit the elf. James felt bad enough already.

"Yes, I did, and you must tell her I'm sorry if nothing else."

The elves left after taking their prisoners out one by one and allowing them to use the privy, before restoring them to their cell.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Gwen said once they had gone. 

"I'm going to kill him one day," James said savagely. "I _hate him!"_

~*~*~*~*

They continued in this manner, the house-elves scurrying between them, for the rest of the day. Lily explained about the effects of the staff, and apologized profusely for the argument she and James had been in. She wanted more than anything to be with him and Sirius and Gwen, but she knew this was impossible.

Voldemort did not return that day or the next; Lily got the impression that she had scared him with her ball of fire, and was more than willing to shoot another one at him if he decided to pay her a visit. By the end of her third day, she, as well as the other prisoners, were wondering where the Aurors were.

"Miss Lily! I has a message for you!" Elly exclaimed, rushing in, breathing heavily. She leaned close to Lily and whispered, "Mr. James wants to try and escape."

Lily sat upright. "What?" she hissed.

Elly nodded solemnly. "It is indeed dangerous. I is scared for you, Miss Lily."

Lily rubbed her temples, thinking hard. "Ask him exactly _how he plans to do this, alright? Thanks so much, Elly."_

It turned out that James wanted to break out tonight, around ten or so (he wore a watch). Xavi, Elly, and Reini had agreed to help immediately, at the risk of losing their jobs. Rommy was a bit more hesitant, but he swore he wouldn't say anything.

That night, Lily paced her quarters, not knowing what time it was, but confident the plan would work. They were planning to follow Reini and Xavi (who would give them their wands back) through the passages and duck into the kitchen quickly, where Elly would tell them how to get to Lily's cave. Rommy (who had agreed eventually) would wait in Lily's room with her and then tell them how to get out. 

Lily hugged her cloak (which she had been wearing for three days) close to herself – it was quite cold. The stone moved aside and her heart leapt – but it was only Rommy. She greeted the house-elf with forced cheerfulness, and resumed pacing and wringing her hands while Rommy explained how to get out of the caves. When the stone rolled back again, she smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

And then her heart turned over.

Lord Voldemort was standing there, and Lily reacted quickly, firing a spell – but Voldemort was ready, and he blocked it easily. He smiled malevolently and took out the Staff. "I think it's time to teach you a lesson again. I won't be as nice this time, I'm afraid."

Over his shoulder she saw a sight for sore eyes – James, Sirius, and Gwen hurtling down the passage. When Voldemort turned to look, Lily acted quickly, and put everything she had into a spell – "_Petrificus Totalus!"_

Voldemort's body tensed; he hit the floor with a crash, the Staff falling out of his hand. "Get it, quick!" Lily yelled, and Gwen bent down without hesitating and grabbed the Staff. They could hear shouts down the hall, and Lily got in front of everyone, firing Stunning charms at anyone in her path. She dimly remembered running through the maze of passages, trusting her instincts and the directions given to her. Soon they were in the huge entrance cave and outside into the bitter cold air. She lit her wand while still running and followed the "sheep herder's" path and they didn't stop until they were halfway down the mountain, when she stopped and turned. 

Gwen got to her first; she dropped the Staff and they embraced tightly. Sirius barged in next, lifting her off her feet and squeezing her. James then took her from Sirius, her feet still not touching the ground, and that's when the tears came. 

"Oh, I love you," she sniffled, kissing his shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't-"

"Shh," she said, leaning back. He put her down. "That's been a wakeup call for me – I'll join the Ministry."

Gwen let out a yell of happiness, and Sirius hugged Lily. Gwen joined in, so all four of them were clutching each other, and they sobered.

"We're bloody lucky," Sirius announced. "I don't think I could stay another day in that thing."

For once, Gwen didn't say something biting back. She simply hugged him tighter.

~*~*~*~*

When the four arrived at the bottom, they were astonished to see tents set up, and recognized many of the people – the Aurors were here. A cry went up when they appeared, and wizards and witches began Apparating every few feet.

They were hugged by so many people that Lily could only see glimpses of faces. Hayley, Remus, Peter, Elizabeth, Ella, Marie-Claire, Mr. Lupin, Mrs. Lupin, Arthur Weasley…and finally Minister Watson.

He hugged Lily, and she said, "Minister, I'm ready to join you at the Ministry."

A mixture of shock, relief, and gratitude crossed over his face, and he hugged her again. "Wonderful! Be at my office on Monday, my dear!"

Apparently, the Aurors _had made an attempt to save them, and had gotten as far as the top landing before they realized that not only giants were in there, but a whole mass of Death Eaters as well. They were now preparing to drive them out._

There was much to be celebrated – mostly because the Staff was now in their hands. Lily asked the Minister what would be done with it, and he said they would examine it at the Magical Artifacts office and then put it in a top secret vault in Gringotts Bank. Lily didn't feel like celebrating, however, as the full extent of what she had been through in the past three days hit her. All she wanted to do was soak thoroughly in a tub, change into her best pajamas, and go to bed. 

And so, James, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines, took her arm and they found Sirius and Gwen. They were heading home to do the same, and then were going to go up to Hogwarts and see Celeste the next day ("If we're lucky, we'll catch her in McGonagall's class!"). Lily asked if she could come, and James agreed to go, and before they went home Hayley invited them to dinner the next day, just them and Remus and Peter. They agreed, and Apparated away happily.

Some time later that night, when Lily was scrubbed clean and had been lying awake in bed for some time, she said, "James?"

"Mmmh?"

"Are you awake?"

He rolled over. "I am now."

"I was thinking, James."

"Were you?" he yawned sleepily.

"Yes, about the house-elves. Without them, we probably wouldn't be here."

"I thought about that too."

"Well, we can't just leave them there to starve."

"Yes, but what am I going to do, ring up Rosier and Nott and ask them to fork over their elves?"

"No, I suppose not." Lily sighed. "I've just become rather fond of them."

"And they us. Don't fret, darling, I'll think of something."

Lily's eyes were already getting heavy. She snuggled up to him and yawned. "Thank you." And fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*

"We couldn't have picked a better day, eh?"

Lily agreed with James wholeheartedly. Sirius, Gwen, and the two were walking up the sloping drive to Hogwarts. The weather was perfect; not like the bitter cold that they had been getting. It was breezy and slightly warm, and the grounds were beautiful, in full autumn bloom. They walked the rest of the way in silence until they got to the big oak front doors. Gwen pushed them opened and they entered, squinting in the sudden darkness, and made their way to Dumbledore's office, where they had promised to have tea when they had written the day before.

"Peppermint Toads!" Lily cried in front of the gargoyle statue. It leaped aside, and she mounted the moving staircase with the others. They rode up to Dumbledore's door and James knocked.

"Come in, come in!" someone called jovially on the other side. James smiled and opened the door, and there was Professor Dumbledore.

"Ah! Here you are!" he shook hands with them all. "I can't tell you how worried young Celeste has been," he said, still smiling, as he sat down behind his desk. "She'll be very happy to see you, Sirius. Ah! Yes, you came for tea, didn't you?"

He conjured a plate of cakes and tea, and they helped themselves. "Dumbledore, what class have they got next?" Gwen asked through one of the cakes.

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling, "the sixth year Gryffindors…Transfiguration, I think."

"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed, exchanging joyous looks with James. 

They finished their tea, bade goodbye to Dumbledore, and set off in the direction of the Transfiguration corridor. 

They arrived at the door and Sirius, grinning broadly, flung it open and stepped in. The rest of his friends followed quite hesitantly. 

"Minerva, my good woman!" he exclaimed, taking Professor McGonagall's hand and shaking it emphatically in front of the stunned sixth years. "Jolly good to see you, jolly good, eh, James?"

"Right you are, Sirius old pal," James said, his eyes alight. He pushed Sirius away and grabbed Professor McGonagall's hand with the wand in it. "Really spiffy, I must say."

She was still slightly frozen, but the sniggers from her class brought her back. She jerked her hands out of theirs and straightened her robes. "Potter, Black," she said, her lips in a thin line. 

Sirius turned around and Celeste stood up, tears splashing down her front. A second later she was in his arms. He hugged her tightly and they left the room for a minute. Everything was silent, until Lily stepped forward, extending her hand. 

"It's wonderful to see you again, Professor," she smiled. 

Professor McGonagall looked a bit happier to see her and shook her hand. "And you, Miss Evans. Oh, goodness, excuse me, Mrs. Potter."

Lily smiled and Professor McGonagall shook hands with Gwen, before they excused themselves and walked out into the hall.

"-because then I won't have anyone, Sirius, anyone at all!" Celeste was crying. Gwen, James, and Lily exchanged glances, a bit embarrassed to be hearing this, and walked into an empty classroom and shut the door to give brother and sister some privacy.

"Poor Celeste," Lily remarked quietly, sitting on a desk. The other two nodded soberly and were silent.

Sirius came in a few moments later, looking stressed.

"How is she?"

Sirius shrugged, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes. 

After a few moments of silence, "I think I'll grow a beard," he said suddenly.

"You most certainly will _not," Gwen said, sliding off her desk and putting her arms around him. "Beards are nasty."_

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?" he asked as they walked out the door.

"We women have ways of removing unwanted body hair. I might accidentally go overboard and you'll wake up one morning, bald as a – aaaah! Sirius! That _tickles!"_

James held out his hand to Lily, which she accepted, and they strolled out after their friends, savoring this contentment, which they knew would be short-lived.

A/N: Twenty-five pages on the dot. Oops, I lied. Twenty six pages. The biggest yet, I'd say. *grin* Review, please! And join my Yahoo group; I'd love to have you.


	21. Strange and Wonderful Happenings

I am ever so very sorry for this horrible, horrible wait!! I love you all for being patient, and I hope this is up to par…You can expect one more chapter and then an epilogue, then SoL is finished! Look for its companions – a fifth year fic starring Gwen, Sirius, Remus, and of course, Harry.

Thanks to my awesome betas – ReineDansante and Snowlily, who I love, and also many thanks to Xaviera Xylira for being there!

I apologize once again – but can you all believe that as of Thanksgiving I will have been writing this story for a year?? 

Cheers, 

Bella

**The Story of Lily**

** **

_You, you gave me love  
Love gave us hope and strength  
To carry on and  
You, you gave me faith  
When I was fallin' down  
You would pick me up, my love_

_~Courtesy of Celine Dion's "Dreamin' of You"_

Chapter Twenty-One: Strange (and Wonderful) Happenings

"Lily! You ready?"

"Oh – oh, yes, of course, James." Lily rolled her eyes and stifled a moan but walked down the stairs from the study and joined her husband in the foyer. "Ready!" she said with forced brightness.

James saw right through her, but had the sense to not say anything, for which Lily was immensely grateful. Together husband and wife walked out of their home and Apparated away. 

They arrived behind the large oak tree in the park across from Buckingham Palace, passed through the tree, arrived in the manicured lawn in front of the Ministry, and soon were squinting in the sudden dark of the inside. 

"Ah, and here are the Potters!"

Lily and James squinted to see two men coming towards them – the Minister and another man Lily had never seen before. 

The Minister beamed and hugged Lily ("So very fortunate we found you!"), and then shook hands with James. Lily noticed with a slight start that the Minister was graying, and the hair on top of his head was sparse. She wondered why she hadn't ever noticed it before, but her wonderings were cut short as the tall man with Minister Watson stepped forward. He was almost unbearably neat, with dark hair and a perfectly trimmed moustache, and he reminded Lily of someone…

"Lily, this is Bartemius Crouch, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Barty, this is Lily Eva – er, Potter. Forgive me."

Lily smiled, but before she could shake his hand, he bowed curtly to her and then turned to James. The Minister made the introductions and James shook Mr. Crouch's hand seriously. 

"Now, you'll be wondering why I have brought Barty – it's because, Lily, you will probably be spending the most time with him. He is the judge of the trials of the few Death Eaters we do catch, or supposed Death Eaters…James, I assume you're here on Auror business?"

James smiled. "Yes, sir. Lily, I'll see you later – if I'm late, don't wait for me, alright?"

"Oh, very well, then." 

He kissed her on the cheek and began walking towards the great Auror Department door, while the Minister took her elbow and led her to a different door, with Crouch walking stiffly behind. 

"…and I have got you an office, isn't that nice?"

"Oh – oh, yes, thank you, very nice." An office? Surely she wouldn't be spending that much time here… "Minister, could you tell me what it is exactly that I'll be doing?"

"I'm going to leave that up to Barty, I think," he grinned as they stopped in front of a large door, bigger than the Auror Department door. "Here we are – I'll be going back to my office. Goodbye for now, Lily."

"Goodbye, Minister."

Lily turned to Crouch. "Please, go ahead, Mrs. Potter," he said formally, and Lily was suddenly struck with who he reminded her of – Giles the butler. 

Stifling a smile, Lily turned and faced the door, drew her wand, and stuck it into the black box. She went through the routine of hearing its excited voice shouting out her titles (and for some odd reason it made her flush slightly with pleasure – Crouch was obviously an important Ministry member) and hurrying through the door. 

The room on the other side was not what she had expected – instead, she was at the start of a very long hall of doors, with neat brass plaques on them all. The walls were stone painted white, and everything looked too neat to belong. 

Lily remembered just in time to move away from the door as Crouch walked smartly in; he nodded at her, and strode off towards the door directly opposite them. She had to walk quickly to keep up with his long strides, and the object of her attention was mostly on not tripping over the hem of her new robes. She nearly collided with him as he came to a dead stop.

"Your wand, madam," he said, gesturing to the black box. Lily once again stuck her wand inside, but instead of yelling out her titles, the box gave a sort of disdainful sniff, flashed, and said, "Access granted." Lily thought she heard it muttering as she stepped through the door and was admitted into another spotless office. Crouch came soon behind her.

"I haven't a secretary," he began, striding to the large desk in the corner that rivaled the Minister's. "I find them bothersome. I much prefer looking after things myself."

"Ah," Lily said, nodding wisely. Crouch glanced up from shuffling through a neat pile of papers and gestured to one of the chairs in front of him. "Please, take a seat."

Lily obeyed, smoothing her robes down as she did, feeling quite inferior. Crouch took his seat and continued rifling papers. Lily took the opportunity to look around his office; the few, neat pictures in matching frames he had seemed to feature a thin, wispy-looking woman and a blond boy, each time varying in age, and some of himself.

"Is that your family?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Crouch looked up and nodded. "Yes. My wife Alice and my son, Bartemius Crouch, Jr."

"How old is he, sir?"

Crouch looked at her in slight surprise briefly, before covering it up with, "He's just turned twelve," and returning to his papers.

"How lovely, sir."

Crouch looked up again. "Mrs. Potter – you needn't call me 'sir', if you wish."

Lily blushed horribly; luckily, Crouch was at his papers again. She desperately tried to calm herself down, do anything to cool the fire in her cheeks. You needn't call him sir, Lily. What's wrong with you? He isn't that much older! Only a few years…well, more like ten…

A thought suddenly occurred to her that made her go even redder. They were the same "rank" within the Ministry. She might even be higher than him. How horrible!

Crouch finally sat down, pulling out a few sheets of parchment. 

"Mrs. Potter, down to business. I will read off my information sheet about you – please correct me if anything I say is wrong. Name: Lily Carolyn Evans Potter. Born: July sixteenth, 1959…"

He went on to list everything she did at Hogwarts, from the number of O.W.L.'s she received to how many total House points she lost, so that when he was finished, her head was reeling.

"Does everything sound about right?"

"Oh – oh yes, I believe so."

"Excellent. Now, onto a more serious note…" He looked up at her grimly and removed his small spectacles. "There are some, Mrs. Potter, who you are undoubtedly unaware of, that wish to regulate the powers of an Adviser."

Lily's eyebrow's shot up. "Regulate, si – er…"

"Mr. Crouch is fine, Mrs. Potter. Yes, regulate. They believe that when you use your powers, it works in the exact way of the Truth Potion Veritaserum, which is, of course, strictly controlled and very difficult to brew. On the other side of this debate, others argue that since your powers are so much easier to access, using them will be for the better of us. I personally see both points of the argument… how do you feel about this?"

"Me? Well, I'm not quite sure." She took one look at his skeptical face and began speaking again. "It's very valid, of course…whatever you would like me to do."

He cleared his throat. "Well, until this issue is resolved, I'm afraid there isn't much to do…But what I will have you do if no restrictions are put on your powers is simply to question those we capture."

"And – sir, will it be at random times? I'm a bit confused about that…"

"I'm not quite sure – your aunt, God rest her soul, was too young to do this the last time – during Grindelwald's reign – and there wasn't much for her to do before, and so, of course, she went into law. I think they will be random, of course, but if we capture suspects in the middle of the night we will certainly wait and contact you in the morning." He looked at her closely. "You know Albus Dumbledore wishes you to be very much in the thick of things, Mrs. Potter."

Lily looked down. She had stopped reading the Daily Prophet a while ago, and couldn't watch James when he read it, so honestly she didn't know how thick the thick of things actually was. Perhaps she should grab a copy of the newspaper on her way out? And perhaps talk to James about what he did when his Summoner flashed? Lily's heart always skipped whenever that dratted thing went off, and even if James returned after hours of being away, dirty, scratched, and drained, she never asked…

Lily wasn't about to mention all this to Crouch, however, so she merely nodded.

"I'm glad you understand. Now, I believe that is all." Crouch stood and extended his hand. "We haven't any captives at the moment, but I will contact you as soon as something arises that needs your immediate attention."

"Of course," Lily said, shaking his cold hand and fixing a smile on her face. 

"I have some paper work to finish, but I daresay you know your way out?" 

"Yes – yes, I believe so. Thank you, Mr. Crouch."

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter. Good day."

"Good day," she said, and walked out of the room a little bit quicker than normal. There was a strange sense of foreboding around that man… She absently walked down the corridor and through the big sliding door.

Flash.

Before Lily's eyes, something happened – one moment, she was outside of the door, and the next, she was standing on the edge of a wood. In a sort of dream she moved towards the noises, and a scene flashed before her – a boy, being tugged to his feet by a madman, standing next to a tall, dark haired young man…

And suddenly, she was back at the Ministry. The vision had happened so fast, Lily's head was spinning.

James was waiting for her, standing with a man she didn't recognize.

"Lily, there you are," he said, striding towards her, the man behind him. "Is everything set?"

Lily closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked briefly behind James at the man behind him – he was tall, with a good-natured face and dark hair. "Yes, everything's fine," but her eyes told a different story.

James raised his eyebrows, but turned to the man behind him. "Oh, sorry – Lils, this is Frank Longbottom – Frank, this is my wife, Lily."

Frank shook her hand, smiling. "Wonderful to finally meet you."

"Lily, Frank is in my division – he's just a baby, you see, a new Auror." James clapped his friend on the back. "I've invited him and his fiancée Anna to dinner on Saturday…I hope that's alright with you."

Lily nodded, still thinking about the apparition – she needed to write it down before she forgot everything. "Yes, that's lovely."

"I'll look forward to seeing you, then!" Frank said cheerfully. "Are you leaving now, then?"

"Yes, I think so," James said, casting a look at his occupied wife. "Come on, Lily."

"James," she said suddenly, looking up at him, "may I speak with you, please?"

He sensed the urgency in her voice and looked at Frank. "You go ahead, Frank – I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow."

He looked at the couple curiously, but said nothing. "Yes – it was a pleasure meeting you, Lily – I'll see you on Saturday."

"Yes, alright," Lily said, forcing a smile.

"Goodbye," James said, and Frank waved, before exiting the building.

Quite suddenly, the world started spinning. Lily doubled over, feeling nauseous, vaguely aware of James's cries.

And, quite suddenly, it all ended.

She stood up straight, breathing heavily, and pressed a hand to her head. James held her shoulders, looking very alarmed. "Lily! What's wrong? Do you need a doctor?!"

"No," she whispered, "no, we need to go to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? What-"

"Now…we need to go now…"

~*~*~*~*

Only when the door shut did Professor Albus Dumbledore let a sigh burst from his lips. He leaned back in his chair and looked straight ahead of himself thoughtfully. That surely had been interesting – Lily Potter had come in, dragging her husband, looking as though she would collapse, and had hurriedly explained some sort of vision to her old headmaster as best as she could.

So, it had already begun.

Albus assumed that She would wait at least a few more years, but perhaps Her Sister had told Her differently. 

He mulled the vision in his head. Three men of varying ages – one elderly, one young, and one very young all in a clearing together. 

Well, that told him next to nothing.

He sighed again, and hoped deeply that She sent another vision to Lily so Lily would know exactly when that vision took place, or where, or to whom. He sent up a quick prayer to the Couple, and then stood heavily and began to walk down to lunch, expelling the bad thoughts from his head and wondering if he would have iced or warm pumpkin juice with his meal.

~*~*~*~*

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,_

_          You are cordially invited to the Midwinter Ball, to be held on twenty-third December at the Black House, hosted by His Excellency Minister George Watson, Mrs. Elizabeth Watson, Mr. Sirius Black, and Ms. Hayley Miller.  _

"What? James! Would you look at this! Sirius is hosting something! Why didn't he tell us?"

James made his way to her, clutching his tea. "Would you look at that," he muttered, scanning the formal invitation. "He mumbled something about a ball to me but I didn't pay much attention. I think I'll go Floo him."

Lily followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch, tucking her feet up under her, re-reading the invitation. 

"Jamie?"

"Hmm?"

"Should we go to this ball thing?"

"Do you want to?"

Lily looked up at him pensively. "I don't know. Do you?"

"I think it might be fun…a lot of the top Ministry members are going to be there – I think we should go." He grabbed a pinch of green powder from the mantle and dug into his pockets for his wand. "Love-"

Before he could get the sentence out, a fire was crackling heartily in the grate. 

"Show off," he muttered, grinning at her. She grinned back.

He knelt down and then tossed the pinch into the flames. They turned green, and he called, "Black House!" and stuck his head into the flames. 

Lily waited patiently, as she couldn't hear the conversation, and after a few moments, James removed his head and sat back, shaking his hair out of his eyes. Lily extinguished the fire and James came over to sit by her, a smile on his face. "Apparently, George and Elizabeth talked him into it, and Hayley begged…he was quite peeved, and Gwen was in stitches…She sends her love, by the way."

Lily chuckled and sipped her tea. "How funny – sounds like them. So, what should I do for dinner?"

"I don't know. Frank and Anna aren't expecting a lavish meal, love." He smiled, and then it dropped, and he fixed her with an intent stare. "Lily, you haven't had anymore visions, have you?"

She looked at him curiously. "James, you know I would tell you if I had."

"I know," he sighed, looking frustrated. "It's just, this is so puzzling – Dumbledore doesn't know what to think. I honestly hope whoever sent you this vision sends another."

"Who do you think sends them?" she asked.

James sighed. "Well, you know Dumbledore – he believes in an ancient deity nearly forgotten by wizardkind. It's basically the personification of Fate and Destiny – sisters, called the Couple."

Lily nodded. "I think I remember hearing a bit about an ancient religion in History of Magic."

"Yes, and that's it, and he still believes in it – my father did, too, and my mum."

"Really?"

"Yes – and I've grown up around it, you know? So I sort of believe it – I believe that someone, probably one of the Couple, is sending you visions, but I don't know why, and neither does Dumbledore…"

They were silent, each thinking hard.

"So the ball's a go?" Lily said quietly, after a few moments. 

"I think so – we'll talk to Frank and Anna tonight – I think Frank's been to a Midwinter Ball. Mum and Dad used to always go to them."

~*~*~*~*

"Lily! Lils, darling, they're here," James said, poking his head into the kitchen. Lily looked up from stirring her soup; she put the lid on, wiped her hands, took off her apron, and followed her husband out of the kitchen. They walked into the front hall and James opened the door.

Tall, muscular Frank stood there, one arm wrapped around a short, plump, sweet looking blonde who had a large smile on her face.   

"Ah, Frank!" James cried, leaping outside to shake his hand. He turned to the woman, who had to be Anna – and beamed at her. "And you must be Anna."

"I am," she confirmed, sticking her hand out. "Very nice to meet you, James!"

James pulled Lily out, who was wearing a hospitable smile, and she shook hands and exchanged greetings with Frank, and then was introduced to Anna. The four headed inside after a short time – it was freezing, and looked as though it would snow at any moment. 

"May I get you a drink, Frank, Anna?" Lily asked as James took their cloaks to the closet. "Red wine, white wine?"

"Red, please, if you don't mind," Frank said, smiling at her. 

"I'd love a glass too, love," James put in, giving her a glowing, happy look.

"Oh, Lily, let me help you," Anna insisted.

"Lovely. James, take our guest into the living room, won't you?" Lily said, throwing him an amused glance, and walking into the dining room to the bar. Anna reached up and got four glasses while Lily looked for the wine. 

"So, Anna – what is it that you do?" Lily asked socially, opening another low cabinet door. 

"I'm in training to be a nurse," Anna said, leaning her elbows on top of the counter. Her small diamond-and-gold ring caught the light, and Lily smiled a small smile.

"That must be wonderful."

"Oh, yes, very," Anna said, but her tone told Lily differently. Lily glanced up at her and then back down again, and cleared her throat.

"You don't like it, then?"

Anna started. "Oh, no, it isn't that I don't like it, it's just – I've really lost my passion for it, since…"

The women exchanged a wordless glance – ever since the attacks became disgustingly inhumane, since they became more frequent…

"I remember you from Hogwarts, you know," Anna said suddenly. Lily spotted the wine rack and pulled out the red and white bottles. 

"Do you, now?" she said distractedly, reading the labels. "What year were you when I graduated?"

"Fifth." She smiled. "We were all terribly jealous when it got round that you and James Potter were officially a couple."

Lily grinned and opened a drawer, hunting for a corkscrew. "Were you?"

"Oh, yes," she said solemnly, coming around to stand next to Lily and help her search. "Horribly."

"And when did you and Frank get together?" 

"Oh, we're the same year – known each other since first year." She shrugged. "I dunno, we've sort of always been 'together'." A dreamy expression filled her dark blue eyes. "I wouldn't trade him for all the gold in Gringotts." 

Lily hid a smile. "That's very romantic."

"Really?" Anna said incredulously, "How?"

"More romantic then ours is, anyway."

"Tell me yours, then, and I'll decide," Anna said, looking at her eagerly. 

Something in her dark blue eyes flashed, and a moment later, Lily was standing in an office…a man whose back was to her was handing a chubby boy a book, the boy looking at him beamingly.

A second later it was gone, and Lily was facing Anna's wide eyes. Lily felt dizzy, just as she was after the first vision she had had, and was dimly aware of Anna's hand on her arm, holding her up, and yelling for help.

Then she felt James' arm enclose her, and in one fluid motion she was in his arms, being carried somewhere. She was carefully placed on a couch, with James holding her hand tightly. Dimly she noticed James telling Frank where to find a quill and parchment, and then she was being hauled upright, propped by pillows, and James looked at her earnestly. "Lily, tell me what you saw – I know you don't have much energy, but tell me, please…"

Lily swallowed and summoned her last bits of energy. "Old classroom…boy and man…"

"Yes? Is that all? You just saw a boy and a man?" 

Lily looked up at Anna, who was looking at her with something remarkably like horror. Her eyes brought back some details – 

"The man…handing a book to the boy…the boy was smiling…" Oh, but Lily was fading fast…

"Yes? Anything else?"

"N-no…"

~*~*~*~*

Lily's eyes popped open. She was in her dark room, in her bed, next to James. It took a moment for her to remember her vision, and then it came back full force. She sat bolt upright, awake and horrified with herself. She frantically shook James' shoulder, and he sat straight up with a slight cry. Lily was a bit astonished at how quickly his wand was in his hand – but she didn't comment.

"What's it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong – James, did I really fall asleep in front of – of all those people?" Lily asked, tears coming to her eyes for some reason. "Did I? What happened?"

James' breathing became regulated, and he leaned back against the pillows. "Yes, you did," he said hesitantly, peering up at her. 

She loved him with his glasses, but there was something different about him without his glasses…something new, something mysterious…it never failed to give her the shivers. But at that moment, she wasn't concentrating on his appearance. 

"I did? Oh, James!" She felt a tear trickle out of her eye, and James, though it was pitch dark, could tell. He pulled her down beside him and stroked her hair.

"Darling, darling, don't cry," he said soothingly. "What's so terrible about that?"

She pulled away, sat up and looked at him. "Because it's embarrassing, James! In front of people I didn't know! I really like Anna and Frank, and they both probably think I'm some mad mental case who faints all the bloody time-"

"Lily, they don't feel that way," James said firmly, cutting her off. "They were concerned, naturally, and I explained your – er – situation to them-"

"Situation!" Lily cried loudly, a noise of offense escaping her throat.

"No, no, not situation…I told them merely that this had happened before, and that you don't normally do it-"

"Umph," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the headboard. "So what happened after I went to sleep?"

"Well, I took you back into our bedroom and put you in your nightgown, and tucked you into bed."

"Why didn't you Ennervate me?"

"Because I figured you needed rest."

"Hmm. Well, what next?"

"And then we had drinks – it was rather awkward, to be honest."

"Honesty is a good thing to have between spouses."

"Lily…"

"No, James, it is! I want you to tell me exactly how it was awkward!"

"Fine, you want the truth?" James was angry. "The whole truth?"

No, she didn't. 

"Yes, if you please, Mr. Potter!"

"Because normal wives don't have visions and faint like that!" James exploded, sitting up to look down at her. To not feel so inferior, she sat up and stared him boldly in the eyes. "Right, are you okay now that I've said it?!"

"Fine, thank you," she said coldly, laying back down and twisting around so she was facing the satin patterned hangings.

James made a noise of frustration and thumped back down onto his pillows. 

Once Lily had cooled down, she immediately became ashamed. How stupid of her to have gotten all upset about something as trivial – well, sort of – as that? How very immature! It was about thirty minutes later, however, that her pride mostly evaporated and she turned around to face her husband's back. 

"Jamie?" she whispered into the darkness.

Her heart soared when he turned around – Lily knew he loved it when she called him Jamie. He moved an inch towards her.

"Yeah?"

She held his wrist. "I love you, and I'm sorry." She felt him smile, and relief swelled up in her. "It was stupid of me to pick such a fight with you."

"I understand, love, I understand. And it wasn't all that awkward – Anna and Frank were quite understanding about it all – don't be surprised if they come by tomorrow."

Lily smiled, and James continued. "When I married you, I knew fully that you weren't a normal wife, and I was fully prepared to accept that, you know."

Lily sighed. "I know." She stopped, and they were silent for a minute. "Did you talk to them about the ball?"

"Yes – they've never been – but it doesn't matter, does it? Sirius'd kill us if we refused it."

"True." She snuggled up close to him. "I think it will be fun." She smiled as she felt a chuckle reverberate through his chest. 

"So do I. I love you."

~*~*~*~*

The next day dawned cold, gray and rainy, and all Lily wanted to do was curl up in front of the fire and read with James. She did get to do so, just without her husband. James was paying a call to Dumbledore, telling him about Lily's vision. Lily hadn't wanted him to go, since there had been a dementor attack on Hogsmeade two days prior, but he was adamant.

She shivered and poked up the fire a bit more. She couldn't concentrate on her book very well, and was about to Floo over to the Wellington Mansion to see how Gwen was doing with moving in, when a knock sounded at her door.

Lily froze, her heart thumping in her chest. Who would call in the middle of the rain like this, on a Sunday afternoon?

She got up slowly, whispered a spell to herself, which effectively made her able to see who was standing at the door – Anna Summers. She smiled at her imagination and opened the door.

"Anna!"

"Hi, Lily," Anna said, smiling. "I've brought you some get-well candies from Frank and I." She presented Lily with a neatly tied box of chocolates.

"Thank you very much," Lily said graciously. "Come in, won't you?"

Anna nodded and entered, and Lily shut the door behind her. She took Anna's wet cloak and hung it up in the hall closet, and the two stood around for a moment.

"I'm terribly sorry about last night," Lily said first. "It's only the second time something like that's happened-"

"Was it me? Did you see something about me?" Anna cried, breaking in. "I did something, didn't I?"

Lily looked at her with alarm. "No, no. I promise, I didn't see you at all. What I told you all last night was all that happened."

Anna exhaled. "Good. Thank you."

There was a silence. 

"Did you decide to go to the ball?" Lily said quietly.

Anna's eyes lit. "Yes, we did. It will be much fun, don't you think?"

Lily smiled at her. "I suppose. I don't know what I'll wear, though."

Anna grinned. "D'you want to shop with me for robes? I could help you find something and you could help me!"

"I'd love that," Lily said truthfully. There was silence again.

"Shall you continue your story?" Anna said finally.

"What story?"

"Of how you and James got together?"

Lily laughed. "Sure. Well, it all started the summer before first year…"

~*~*~*~*

"Gwen! Come over, won't you?"

Gwen looked at her with her eyebrows raised over a book of patterns. "What's got you in a tizzy?"

"Anna's over – you know, Anna Summers, Frank's fiancée – we're going shopping for dress robes for the ball."

"Wonderful! I thought I was going to have to go all by myself or something."

"C'mon. It's our Christmas presents to ourselves."

"Sounds lovely. I'll be over in a moment, but I'm warning you, we'd better stop at Gringott's."

Lily laughed. "I know, I know. Come on!"

The three women were finally assembled, and Apparated to Diagon Alley. It was full of witches and wizards doing their Christmas shopping. After a trip to the wizards' bank, they headed into a posh robe store next to a restaurant. The store was called "MeeMee's: A Division of Madame Malkin's To Serve Those Who Need Fancy Things". They headed inside.

Immediately a sweet, almost overpowering scent hit them. A large woman stood in front of them, her face so covered in makeup Lily wondered how her fat neck was holding it up. Her fingers, clasped in front of her, were covered with large jewels. She smiled largely at them and cried in a loud, high pitched voice that oozed sugar, "Lovely, look at these pretty young ladies! I bet you've all come to find robes for the big ball coming up, haven't you?" 

"Yes, we have," Anna said politely. Gwen worked hard to contain her disgust, while Lily was just as occupied trying to contain her smile. 

"I'm Mademoiselle MeeMee, the owner of this store!" she did a double take as her beady eyes roved over Lily. "Well, bless my soul! If it isn't the pretty little thing who snagged James Potter!"

Lily's eyebrows shot up.

"Many a woman was jealous of you, you know," the unpleasant woman said, winking at her.

Lily forced a smile as Gwen snorted. Anna's dark blue eyes were wide.

"Yes, I'll fix all three of you right up!" the woman continued, and snapped her fingers. Three attendants appeared, and Mademoiselle MeeMee steered the women over to the dressing rooms. 

"We have a _lovely way of deciding what color would fit you the best. You go ahead and pick a dress room girlies – one to each – and get undressed. You'll get fifty percent off if you do not like the first dress robes we give you! But first, let my attendants measure you."_

The women, with glances at each other, allowed themselves to be measured as Mademoiselle MeeMee walked around, surveying. When the silent attendants were finished, Mademoiselle MeeMee clapped her hands. "Into the dressing rooms, now, dears! Hop to!" She disappeared into a back room.

"Insane, she is," Gwen muttered forcefully, taking the dressing room in the middle. "I bet she's never made a robe in her life…" she continued muttering about colors as she entered the room and slammed the curtain behind her. Lily and Anna exchanged amused looks and took the ones on either side, with Lily on the far left.

Lily smelled rather than heard when Mademoiselle MeeMee entered the room. A fabric was thrown over the door to her, and she caught it: a set of dress robes in a perfect bottle green. Lily went to the mirror and held it up to her face – it matched her eyes beautifully.

The robes went on perfectly and Lily felt wonderful in them. She left the dressing room in them at about the same time as Gwen who looked pleased, albeit grudgingly.

Her robes were deep satin red that set off her black hair wonderfully. Anna came out in dark blue the same color as her eyes, and Gwen had nothing negative to say about either robes. She instead looked at Mademoiselle MeeMee with a new respect.

The three ended up paying full price and left, full of content.

~*~*~*~*  

Remus Lupin inhaled the cold evening air deeply. It felt like a sharp knife had been plunged into his neck, but he didn't care. Nothing physical ever bothered him anymore, not even his monthly transformations.

Right now they were all at a party – all of his "friends" that hardly ever talked to him. 

The invitation had been sent to Remus, and he had immediately declined politely. Going to balls was for happy people, and Remus was definitely not happy. Then again, part of his heart was dead, so why should he be happy?

The only people that really talked to him anymore were his parents, who were terribly worried over him. They suspected him, as did all his friends, even though none would ever admit it.

Remus smiled ironically to himself, running a hand through his light hair. They should know better. James and Sirius were supposed to be brilliant; why did they think Remus would ever join Voldemort? Voldemort killed Mary Katherine – however indirectly – and for that, Remus would hate him with a passion deeper than words. 

Remus sat down on a rock on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. He had taken walks in the cold since he could remember – it was soothing, calming. This particular rock he liked to call his Pondering Rock, for it always seemed to help him think.

Right now he began thinking more about his friends. Sirius used to come and visit him often, but his visits had become less and less frequent. Remus believed Sirius, whom he had always counted as his best friend, had stopped coming altogether.

What of Lily and James? They were still blissfully happy, as far as he could tell. 

A bitter smile adorned his lips. How unfair was it, that James got to keep his soul mate while Remus had watched his die? James didn't know just how lucky he was. He never would, unless Lily died.

But then, James would surely kill himself.

Remus had tried. He had almost done it, but by a stroke of luck (or was it?) he had heard his mother summoning him from the fireplace below. Remus had put his wand down, shaking hard, and walked out of his bedroom.

He wasn't much better now, but hadn't made any more attempts on his life, even though he had nothing more to live for. 

~*~*~*~*

Lily swayed slightly, and in that moment, she knew she needed to lie down. She quickly found James talking with someone – from work, probably – and he did a double take at her face.

"Excuse me, Caldwell," he said quickly to the man talking to him, and turned his full attention to Lily. "Darling, what's wrong? You look like you're going to faint!"

She shook her head. "I'm going to go home, I don't feel well."

"I'm coming with you, then," he said immediately.

"Oh – James, you stay, dear, it's early still. I'm just going to Apparate back."

"No, I don't think so, you're not Apparating anywhere looking like that," James said firmly, taking her hand and looking around. "Sirius!"

Sirius, who was talking to a rather large witch that kept looking at him as if he were a big steak, came right over. 

"Bloody hell, did you see her?" he gasped, looking over his shoulder. "Gwen brought her over, thinks it's hilar-Lily, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm just feeling a little sick-"

"Christ, she looks like she going to pass out!" he interrupted, staring at her.

"Sirius, I can't believe you just left Miss Gold there…Good God, Lily, what's wrong?" Gwen had just run up, and was now peering at Lily with slight shock. "You didn't have another premonition, did you?" she whispered, leaning forward.

"No, no," Lily said, shutting her eyes briefly. "I just need to go to bed, I think. Sirius, it was great – tell everyone I had a wonderful time, but am just feeling a little unwell."

He looked at her with concern and went forward to hug her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Sirius, really," she insisted as she hugged Gwen too. Gwen smoothed her hair and smiled. "I'll come visit in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Lily nodded, and James wrapped an arm around her waist. "See you tomorrow, then," and before Lily could think, he had Apparated away with her.

They appeared in front of the house, and James half carried her in, looking concerned. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Mmm," she said, her eyes drooping. "I can't..." She was fading quickly, and was dimly aware of James carrying her to bed, removing her shoes, jewelry, robes, and changing her into a nightgown. He kissed her, and she knew nothing more. 

~*~*~*~*

Beep! Beep! Beeeeeeeep!

"Holy shit," James mumbled in the dark, and Lily groaned and cracked open an eye. Sure enough, on his bedside table, James' Summoner was flashing and whirring. He lit a candle and squinted at the clock – it read, "Go to work!"

James began muttering obscenities under his breath as he got up and dressed. Lily watched through half-open eyelids, and was drifting quickly to sleep again when the bed shifted and James pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

"I love you – I'll be back soon."

Lily said something unrecognizable back, and seconds later, she was fast a-slumber, thinking about the ball that was surely not over yet.

~*~*~*~*

So comfortable. This really was a great bed, Lily reflected as she came to the next morning. She yawned contentedly and rolled over. That was strange – it was almost seven in the morning…Lily never woke up that early on her own accord…

She sat up, suddenly more awake. Something was not right.

Unconsciously she grabbed her wand from the bedside table, where James must have put it. The silence pressed into her ears, and her heart began to beat painfully hard against her chest.

"James," she said aloud, "I need James."

Suddenly the house seemed much too big…Lily dressed quickly, her heart pounding still harder, and she bolted out of her room to the kitchen. The Daily Prophet wasn't there…It was always there by at seven…

She ran into the living room and grabbed a pinch of powder, lighting the fire effortlessly and tossing the powder in. 

"The Watson's!" she cried, shoving her head in. She was instantly transported there, and yelled aloud for a few minutes…No one was there…

She slowly pulled her head out. She was overreacting, definitely. They were just sleeping! And James was just on the normal Auror business…

Then why did she feel such apprehension? Who could she find to talk to about this?

Anna would be there. She got another pinch of powder without a second thought and tossed it in, transporting herself to Anna's comfortable flat. To her relief, Anna was seated comfortably on her couch, reading, and started when Lily's head appeared.

"Thank God," Lily gasped. "I'm sorry to bother you so early, but do you know what Frank and James are doing? I feel strange for some reason."

Anna looked perplexed. "I don't know what they're doing…" she said slowly. A wrinkle creased her brow. "I just couldn't sleep. You don't think there's something wrong, do you?"

"I couldn't sleep either…I don't know, I just feel strange…"

"Did you have another premonition?"

"No," Lily said firmly, shaking her head. "I'm probably just overreacting."

Anna got up and leaned over the fireplace. "Why don't you come over, and we can have a little natter about last night to get our minds off this. I'll fix some tea."

Lily nodded. "That sounds wonderful, thanks. I'll be right over."

She pulled her head up, reached up onto the mantle and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, threw it in, and was gone in seconds. 

She appeared in Anna's fireplace and reached out her hands to steady herself. She dusted off herself and looked around. "Anna?"

Anna's round face poked out from the kitchen doorway. "Lily, come in!" she called, and disappeared again.

Lily walked slowly through her flat, looking at the pictures – all seemed to be of Frank and Anna…Lily wondered about Anna's family. Had she lost her parents too?

She walked into the small kitchen where Anna was bustling around, making tea and whatever else. She gestured to a stool. "Sit, won't you?"

Lily said nothing but obeyed, and was soon presented with a cup of tea. Anna sat down opposite her, and the two sipped their drinks in silence before Anna broke it.

"So, did you have a good time last night?"

"Oh, yes. Our robes looked fantastic!"

"You seemed like you had a good time talking to Gwen?"

"I did. She and Sirius Black are an item, aren't they?"

Lily smiled in spite of her worries. "Yes…They are. Do you remember them from Hogwarts?"

"I was a Hufflepuff, but I swear I could hear their rows through the walls."

"They were spectacular, weren't they?" Lily smiled, but then turned it into a frown. "You were a Hufflepuff?"

Anna didn't have a chance to answer because an urgent, slightly panicked male voice interrupted her. "Anna! Anna!"

Lily's breath caught. She followed Anna at a run out of the kitchen and to the living room, where a man's head that Lily didn't recognize was sitting amidst the flames.

"Anna, thank God, I though you weren't in-" he shifted his gaze and saw Lily, and his eyes grew to saucer size. "Holy mother," he gasped. "Lily Potter! Wonderful, Mrs. Potter – you both have got to get down here now!"

"What?!" Anna cried, wringing her hands. "Bill, what are you talking about?"

"I'm at Sirius Black's house – horrible stuff is happening – I was sent to call you-"

"GET OUT OF MY FIREPLACE AND MOVE ASIDE!" Anna yelled, running to the mantle and grabbing an unnecessary amount of Floo. "Follow me!" she cried over her shoulder at Lily, and disappeared. 

Lily paused for a moment, her thoughts racing. What was this? Was something bad happening again to the people she loved?

She snapped out of her thoughts, flung powder into the fire, and stepped inside. "The Black's house!"

She stepped out of the fireplace to pandemonium, and in the middle of it all was Gwen, standing motionless. Men and women were running around still in their ball clothes, some sobbing hard. To her immense horror, bodies were strewn everywhere…She heard shouts and spells being fired outside. A blast of red light burst through one of the windows, shattering it, and everyone screamed and ducked. 

She leaped away from the hearth and went to Gwen, almost stepping on a body, scanning the room for anyone she knew. When she got to her best friend, she shook her hard. "Gwen!" she yelled, trying to be heard over the screams. Another spell shot through the window, this time straight at Lily and Gwen. Lily waved her hand and stopped it in mid air, then turned back to Gwen. "What's wrong! Gwen, talk to me!"

A strange sound bubble up from her lips, and wordlessly she waved to the couch in front of her. Lily looked, and her stomach contracted.

The Minister was lying on it, motionless. As she watched, a band of mediwizards appeared and conjured a stretcher quickly. Before Lily could register what happened, the two holding the stretcher Disapparated while the others conjured more stretchers, their faces set. 

"DUCK!" someone yelled, and Lily pulled Gwen to the floor behind the couch as another jet of light came through a window. "Gwen…oh, Gwen…"

Gwen turned her face to Lily, and her eyes held such anguish Lily had never seen. "Dead…They're dead, Lily."

Tears welled up in Lily's eyes. "Who else? Who?"

"Mum," Gwen whispered, and she crumpled into Lily's arms, sobbing. Lily held her for a few moments, crying along with her. Why? Why did this have to happen? What was…what was the point?

"You there!"  
Lily's head jerked up. A dirty man pointed his wand at them, and for a second, Lily thought he would fire at them, but he merely gestured with his wand. "Get up and help, won't you!"

Lily slowly turned back to Gwen. "Gwen, I've got to go help…They need me."

Gwen sat up. "I'll come," she said, her voice determined. Where anguish had been before in her crystal blue eyes, now it had given over to anger, to a burning hatred…

She sprang up and drew her wand. Without a word, she left the security of the couch and ran swiftly out of the living room.  

Lily struggled to get her breath before dashing out after her best friend. She wound through the house she had once lived in, the hallways becoming more familiar. She burst out a side door and surveyed the yard. The beautiful decorations were still up, as if mocking the people of the party they had been enjoying a few hours ago. Around them Aurors in dress robes and many other people were fighting the hooded, black-robed Death Eaters with a vengeance, but there were simply too many of them. Bodies were strewn all over the grass, with people carelessly stepping on them, not caring…

Lily scanned the yard for people she knew – she saw Anna, blind fury adorning her pretty, plump features as she fought next to Frank. She watched Gwen kill a Death Eater recklessly, and saw Sirius, on her left, Stun another…

James. Where was he?

Lily's pulse quickened. Surely...Surely he wasn't…

Unwillingly her eyes searched the bodies on the ground. No-

A voice cried something, and out of the corner of her eye Lily saw a person in black shoot a spell right at her. Another was shot towards it, knocking the curse out of her direction. 

"_Stupefy!" someone cried, and the person in black crumpled. The voice was familiar. She turned, and her heart swelled. _

"Thank God," she cried, running towards her husband. "James," she breathed.

He wiped dirt out of his eyes. "Lily! What in God's name were you doing?!" he yelled. "You could have been killed just standing there like an idiot! You're not invincible, you know!"

Lily drew back, hurt. "I was just looking for-"

He shot a blocking spell over her head. "Get moving!" he yelled, pushing her behind him. Lily stumbled from the force of his push onto the ground, but watched, as if in slow motion, a Death Eater from the side shoot a spell at him. Before he could block it, it hit him, and he fell next to Lily. She stood up, burning with anger, and let out a terrible cry of fury. She shot the most powerful Stunning Spell she had ever mustered at that Death Eater. It hit him full on; she was positive she had killed him. 

No one escaped her then. She stood right next to James the entire rest of the battle, firing at any Death Eater she saw, and turned the tide. Soon, the Dark wizards realized they were extremely outnumbered and Disapparated. 

A universal sigh of relief went through the good fighters, and Lily whirled around, throwing herself next to James. He was breathing, thankfully, just Stunned. 

"Lily!"

Sirius was coming over with Gwen limply lying in his arms. Lily's blood froze, and, seeing the alarm on her face, Sirius shook his head grimly as he put her down gently. "She just fainted, don't worry." His eyes rested on James, and his jaw dropped. The blood rushed from his face, and now it was Lily's turn to shake her head.

"He's been Stunned."

Sirius put his hands on his face and moaned. "Thank God."

Anna and Frank joined them, paralyzed with worry. "They're okay," Lily said, putting a hand to her heart. "Gwen fainted and James was Stunned."

"I don't blame her," Sirius said, his eyes filled with grief. Lily burst into tears when the realization that Minister Watson and Elizabeth were dead fully hit her, and Sirius pulled her into a tight hug.

~*~*~*~*

Christmas was subdued, and spent just with Sirius, Remus, Peter, Gwen, James, Lily, Ella, and Celeste. The total that had been killed from the light side amounted to seventeen, including Remus's mother. 

James apologized for yelling at her, and said it was due to the fact that he was worried and had been fighting for hours, being thankful the entire time Lily was safe at home. She had forgiven him immediately.

After Christmas, Ella moved out, and within the same week Sirius, Gwen, and Celeste were in the Wellington House. Along with the funerals of Mrs. Lupin, Minister Watson and Elizabeth Watson, Lily was forced to bury one of the last remnants of her childhood – good old Cookie, who had been living with Ella at the Wellington house. Lily felt as though part of her had died, and the little girl Lily was fading away quickly.

Then, of course, she had to go back into work. The Ministry was in an uproar, with some calling for Albus Dumbledore to be made Minister, some for Barty Crouch, and a fair few even wanted Lily to be Minster, but they had to go with custom, and the Assistant Minister of Magic took over. 

Lily was swamped with work. Attacks were happening regularly, and people were beginning to be too scared to walk outside. You didn't talk to anyone you didn't know, no matter how nice they seemed.

Anna and Frank were married in a very small ceremony, Anna in simple white dress robes and Frank in black dress robes. Sirius, Gwen, Lily, James, and Frank's parents were all that were present. A few weeks later, Anna found she was pregnant, due in December. 

Lily's life was gray and lifeless, with the months slipping past as if in a dream, and she had only James, Sirius, Gwen, Anna, and Frank to color it up a bit.

That all changed about two weeks after Halloween when Lily jumped out of bed on a Friday morning and threw up in the bathroom. 

James was away doing paperwork at the Ministry, and Lily called for Gwen through her fireplace. Gwen Flooed over and gasped when she saw Lily's face.

"Lils! What's wrong?"

"I just threw up."

"Well, are you okay? Do you want some medicine?"

"I think something's wrong with me."

"Anna – I'll get Anna! She's a nurse!" Gwen exclaimed.

"But she's working at St. Mungo's now, isn't she?"

"Yes, but this is an emergency," Gwen said dismissively, and Flooed to the hospital.

When they arrived about half an hour later, Lily was sitting in front of the toilet after just being sick.

A seven month pregnant Anna rushed in the bathroom and stood her up. Her blue eyes became wide.

"Come on, you need to see a doctor."

"Is something wrong? I think I might just have a stomach bug or something-"

"You might," Anna said, and pulled her out of the bathroom and towards the door. "Gwen, grab her coat."

"But I'm still in my pajamas!" Lily protested. Her head spun, and bile rose up in her mouth.

Gwen threw Lily's coat on her and opened the door so the three could get outside. Once they were in the driveway Anna put her arm around Lily's waist and Gwen copied her on the other side, and they Disapparated with her.

They arrived in the lobby of St. Mungo's. Lily sat down as Anna arranged for her to see a doctor. She was finally led through a door and down a hall, and put into a room with Gwen standing next to her, holding her hand.

A nice looking woman entered. "Good morning, Mrs. Potter! I'm Dr. Gooden, and I hear there might be something wrong with you?" she smiled.

"I hope not," Lily said, putting a hand to her stomach.

"Why don't you tell me about your symptoms, dear."

"I got up this morning, feeling sick, and threw up twice. Anna thought I should come in."

"Well, look here – I think I know what's wrong with you, dear, and there's nothing wrong."

"You know?" Lily said nervously. "Shouldn't you run a test?"

"I have been while watching you, but I'll be a little more extensive." She drew her wand and instructed Lily to lie on her back on the small cot. She whispered a spell, and put the tip of her wand on Lily's stomach. The doctor moved it around and a smile came to her lips.

"Mrs. Potter-"

"Lily," Lily interrupted weakly.

"Lily, then. My dear, you are going to have a baby."

Lily's jaw dropped and Gwen began hyperventilating. 

"Yes, Lily, you're going to be a mother!" Dr. Gooden exclaimed, smiling widely.

"A mother," Lily whispered to herself. She put her hands on her stomach. "A baby," she whispered again, and then the world went black.

~*~*~*~*

Her eyes opened to see a very white ceiling. She was lying in starched white sheets, and someone was next to her – Gwen, flipping through an old issue of Witch Weekly.

Gwen saw her stir and she leaped up. "She's awake, Anna!" she yelled over her shoulder, and then turned to look at Lily anxiously.

"What happened?" Lily asked drowsily.

"You fainted after Dr. Gooden told you you're pregnant. You've been out for almost twenty minutes – James is on his way."

Lily sat bolt upright just as Anna entered. "No, lay back down!" Anna cried, and Gwen forced her back onto her pillows. "You don't want to strain yourself."

"I'm going to be a mother," Lily said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Does James know?"

"Know what?" James cried, coming in and panting heavily. "I came as fast as I could – Lily, are you alright?"

Lily smiled widely. "No – no, _we're alright."_

"We?" he asked, striding towards her, looking confused. Anna and Gwen crept out and shut the door. "What do you mean?"

"James," Lily said, taking his hand, "We're going to have a baby."

The blood drained from his face and he sat down heavily on the side of her bed. "We're what?"

"I'm pregnant, Jamie. We're going to be parents."

He gasped for air. "Parents?"

"Yes," Lily nodded, smiling gently. She pulled the covers down off her and put his hand gently on her still-flat stomach. "Our baby is right there."

He looked down at her stomach and slowly moved his hand around while Lily watched. "Are we ready, you think?" James asked in wonderment.

"I think we are."

He nodded and looked up at her. "We are." He leaned forward and kissed her gently. "We definitely are."

~*~*~*~*

Finished – review, please! And join my Yahoo! Group while you're at it! Just go to groups.yahoo.com/group/TheStoryofLily and click join! You can read the SoL chapters early and do a bunch of other cool stuff, like meet the beta's and friends, and take some – er – interesting polls! See you there!  
Bella


	22. Harry

The epilogue is coming soon. At the end of this chapter is a special…speech, I suppose…to all of you guys reading, and I hope you'll seriously take it to heart. 

*This is my interpretation of the Fidelius Charm, please remember. I don't actually show them performing the charm, but there were a few complications I had to work out, so please just bear with me if it doesn't make sense with canon – this is my fiction.*

****

**The Story of Lily**

_Golden slumber kiss your eyes,   
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep, pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I'll sing you a lullaby.  
  
Care you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep,  
Pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby._

_                                                                                       ~ "Golden Dreams" – Ancient Lullaby_

Chapter 22: Harry

"Remus," Lily gasped. 

He was not the happy young man she had remembered – he was tired, his face was gray, his hair thinning. Circles were under his light eyes. Nevertheless, she went forward to hug him. Limply, he hugged her back, and then released her, and she beckoned him inside the warm Potter mansion, blinking back tears.

"James! Sirius! Peter! Remus is here!" She turned back to him and took his cloak, looking at him with curiosity. "How are you, Remus?"

He didn't get a chance to answer because just then James, Peter, and Sirius entered the foyer. Remus froze, looking at them all over Lily's head. She stepped aside, looking down the hall at the men, with Gwen in the back. All four had expressionless faces, and all four were staring at Remus as he boldly stared back.

Lily was completely puzzled. What had happened between the men that had made them feel this way towards their fellow Marauder?

"James?" she asked quietly looking at him. A sudden burst of anger and confusion went through her. "What's happening here?"

She moved towards Remus and put her hand on his arm. He flinched slightly, but didn't look at her. 

"Sirius?"

No answer.

"Peter?"

Silence.

"What _is going on here?" she demanded loudly. "Answer me, one of you!"_

"Lily," James warned, "don't-"

"James!" she cut in. James and the others felt a rare bout of redheaded temper coming from the usually docile Lily. "You four are best friends!" she continued. "What happened?!"

No one answered again, and Gwen, her heels clinking against the floor, walked over to her best friend. "Lily," she whispered urgently, "stop it. You don't know anything-"

"Oh, and you do?" she cried, stepping back from Gwen, who looked hurt. "You think you bloody know everything!"

"Lily! Stop it! What are you saying?" Gwen cried.

Lily glared at her – crystal blue eyes against bottle green eyes. Uncomfortable thoughts spread over her brain…Thoughts that had come up before, but she had always banished…That slight, ever-present jealousy towards Gwen, that feeling of being left out, all because Lily ignored her friends for three years during school…

She shook her head, determined not to break down, and turned towards her husband, her temper rising again. "Tell me what the hell is going on, right now, James Potter, or I'll-"

He moved away from his friends and took her by the arm, the force of his grip making her cry out, and he pulled her into the kitchen. 

"Lily, why didn't you tell me you invited him?" he whispered, his brown eyes glinting. His tone scared her. She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and rubbed it. For a second, she felt like bursting into tears, but wouldn't, and she lifted her chin. "James Potter, if you don't give me a reason why you don't want him here, I'll leave. I seriously shall. Why does Gwen know and I don't?"

"Lily," James began, "this is really hard for me to tell you, but…But it's because…It's because Remus is sick. Mentally."

She released her Adviser powers and warnings went off in her head. He was lying.

"James, don't ever lie to me," she whispered coldly, "it doesn't work, remember?"

He paled.

"Now, why don't you tell me the _real _reason you don't want him here? I'm giving you a chance to tell me, because otherwise I'll find out myself, and it won't be fun, having me _root_ 'round your _brain_."

He glared at her. "Fine, you want to know? It's because he's a Death Eater, okay?"

"_What?" she said, looking at him with disbelief. "What proof do you have of _that_?"_

"We don't know for sure, but we think he is."

She set her jaw. "Oh, you _think he is? So you're being a bastard to him when he might not be one? My _God_, James, use your bloody head! Lord Voldemort killed Mary Katherine! Or have you forgotten?" _

She fixed him with an icy glare (which was odd, because Lily had only ever given four or five icy glares in her life), snorted disdainfully, and pushed past him, out into the foyer. Lily walked out just in time to see the front door slam shut. She raced towards it and flung it open, catching Remus as he was about to Disapparate.

"Remus!" she cried, breathless, the cold air stinging her throat. "Wait, please."

He looked at her, his jaw set. Lily didn't miss the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. "Remus, they don't – they don't really believe-"

"Don't they?" he said calmly, and forced a tight smile. "They don't want me, Lily, and I certainly don't want to be with them when I'm not welcome."

"Remus, stop, please," Lily begged. "Just come inside, and in front of everyone, I can use my powers to test you." He was silent. "Please, Remus," she said again. "For me?"

He sighed, still tense. "Only for a moment."

"Thank you," she said, smiling, and took his hand and led him into the house. James had joined Peter, Gwen, and Sirius talking in a small circle. 

"I'm going to test him," Lily said calmly, but her eyes were blazing. They all turned to look at her. "He is going to tell me he isn't a Death Eater, and if he's lying, I will know."

"Lily," Sirius said, speaking for the first time, "we can always look at his arm."

"Stop it, Sirius," she snapped. "Now Remus, look at me and tell me you don't work for Voldemort."

"I do not work for Voldemort."

No warnings. Lily smiled smugly and turned around. "He is being completely truthful."

None of the others moved.

Lily looked at them incredulously. "You don't believe me, do you?"

They all exchanged quick, uncomfortable glances, and began speaking at once.

"Oh, no-"

"Lily, of course we-"

"What a stupid thing to think-"

"Good heavens-"

Remus surged past Lily, taking his coat off and rolling up his sleeve.

The world spun in front of Lily's eyes, and went black. _Here we go again_, she thought wearily, and stared hard at the scene that had appeared in front of her.

A man wearing black was rolling up his sleeve and striding importantly across a room, and Lily saw a patch of black on his white arm before she came to coherency. She was being carried – by James, presumably, to the same couch she had laid on the last time she had a vision. This was her first in a while.

"Get parchment!" James cried. "Remus, you can write the fastest – Lily, tell me what you saw!"__

_"Ennervate_ me, James," Lily mumbled.

"Tell me, Lily!"

"_Ennervate…me," she insisted wearily._

 "I will, I will!" he cried. "Come on, come on!"

"A man in black…walking towards someone…rolling up the – the sleeve of his robe…showing someone the – the Dark Mark on his arm…"

"Where, Lily, do you know where?"

"No…"

~*~*~*~*

_Ennervate._

_Wake up, wake up…Come back, come back…_

Lily opened her eyes to see everyone clustered around her. She attempted to sit up, but they all cried out and immediately she fell back.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes wide.

"You really should stop doing that," Gwen said, closest to her, kneeling on her left. "It can't be good for the baby."

"The _what?" Sirius cried, looking at her with alarm._

"Thanks so much, Gwen," Lily grumbled. 

Gwen winced. "Oops."

"Oh well," Lily said, and gently sat up. She looked up at James, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with Remus. "We called you _all_ over here to tell you that we're having a baby."

"_What?" Sirius exclaimed again, his jaw dropping._

"I say!" Peter exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Congratulations," Remus said, giving a wane smile. His eyes showed his happiness better than his smile.

"Thank you," Lily said, and they all went into a short, uncomfortable silence. Sirius broke it by hugging her tightly, before jumping back.

"My God, are you okay? Did I hug you too hard?"

Lily smiled thinly. "Sirius, I'm fine."

"How long have you known?" Peter said, his voice sounding slightly horrified.

"Two weeks."

"_Two bloody weeks?" Sirius cried, looking wildly at James. "And you call me your best mate?!"_

"Sorry," James said, shrugging. He glanced at Lily out of the corner of his eye. "She wanted to wait and tell you all."

Another awkward silence. Lily slowly rose and took Remus by the arm. "Let's all go and have dinner, shall we?" she called over her shoulder. All of them followed, not looking forward to the no-doubt forced, tension-filled meal ahead of them.

~*~*~*~*

"I just don't get it," James sighed, feeling hopeless. "She _never lets her temper get the better of her, and I swear she would have slapped me if I hadn't backed down in the kitchen."_

"She snapped at _me_," Gwen said, still shocked. "We've never had a yelling match like that – not since before third year."

Sirius shook his head and leaned back in his chair. It was the next day, and the three Aurors, plus Peter, were in the Wellington Mansion. "James, did you hurt her? When you grabbed her arm like that?"

James swallowed and looked down. "I dunno. I certainly hope not. We – we didn't talk at all after you left. I tried to, but she was still extremely pissed at me."

"And she's at a meeting, you say?" Peter asked, sipping his tea.

"Yeah, with the top Ministry officials. Honestly, she could care less," James muttered.

"James!" Gwen exclaimed, looking shocked. "You know that isn't true!"

"I know, I know," he sighed, regretting his words. "Know what I fancy about now? A good fly."

"Cheers," Sirius chimed in. "There're brooms in the shed at the pitch. You two coming?"

Peter set his teacup down and stood up with the rest of them. "I think I'll go back home."

"You've never been one for flying, Pete," James said, clapping his short friend on the shoulder.

Sirius snorted. "Because you never try."

Peter deliberately ignored that. "So James, when's the baby due, again?"

James sighed. "July. Late July."

Peter nodded. "Right. Thanks for the tea, Gwen."

"You're welcome, Peter. Sorry you can't stay."

Peter smiled. "Yep, sorry indeed! Goodbye, all!" He showed himself out, whistling, thinking of how _he_ would be the first one to tell Master of the Potter's baby. 

~*~*~*~*

"I have a proposition."

Lily watched blearily as Bartemius Crouch got up from his seat near the head of the table (and the Minister of Magic). She had stayed up incredibly late the night before, thinking hard on Remus and the situation at hand. She was prepared to go see him when remembered she had an important meeting with the Ministry and other top witches and wizards. Albus Dumbledore was sitting on the Minister's right hand.

"Yes, Crouch?" Minister Brock said, clearing his throat. He was quite old – only two or three years younger than Dumbledore, and had become George Watson's Assistant Minister when Remus's father had retired.

"I have discussed this with most of the witches and wizards present, and they agree with me: we should give the Aurors more power and license." 

Many raised their eyebrows, and talk broke out. Some, like the Auror Department Head Jo Krespin, were nodding.

"Order, order!" Minister Brock cried feebly. "What sort of powers, Bartemius?" he demanded.

Crouch paused, and then set his jaw determinedly. "Powers that the Death Eaters already have, that they have used on our people – the power to kill and torture."

Shouting broke out, and Lily felt her eyes widen. _My God_, she thought, _if the Aurors get these powers…How will that help to stop the war?_

The Minister was frantically trying to get everyone to calm down. "Stop it, stop it! Do sit down!" he cried.

"Quiet!" someone yelled loudly, commandingly, and everyone quieted immediately. 

"I'd like to have a meeting with my Cabinet, please, on this matter," the Minister sniffed, and took the Heads of Departments into a room and slammed the door. 

Everyone broke out into chatter, and Lily looked around for a familiar face; her eyes connected almost immediately with Dumbledore's piercing blue ones, and she smiled wearily and made her way over to him. 

"Lily – it's been a while, hasn't it?" Dumbledore said with a tired smile, but his eyes sparkled with delight.

Lily nodded, looking up at him. She hadn't gotten any taller since seventh year – he still towered at least a foot above her head. "Not since Anna and Frank's wedding, I believe."

"Yes, yes, you're quite right. And how is her baby?"

"Oh - well, I think."

"That is good news." 

"Albus, did anyone tell you about James and I?" Lily asked curiously. She didn't particularly want to talk about James, but anyway…

He looked puzzled. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I think so, er – we're expecting a baby as well."

His old face lit, and a true smile broke out as Lily blushed modestly. "Brilliant! How fantastic for you both!"

"Thank you so much."

"Please, do extend my greatest congratulations to your husband." 

"I certainly will." _If he apologizes first._

"Order, order," the Minister cried feebly, coming out. He sat down at the head of the table, and everyone took their seats once more. He looked down the table piercingly, and then sat back. "The Minister's Cabinet and I have decided – unanimously, mind you – that the power to kill Death Eaters, within a needful situation when the safety of the Auror and safety of citizens is in question, shall be granted to them."

Uproar again. Lily sat back, feeling dazed. Was this morally correct? This lowered the Aurors to the level of the Death Eaters – the only thing separating the two now wouldn't be good versus bad, it would be who you were fighting for – Dumbledore or Voldemort?

~*~*~*~*

"PRONGS! IT'S HAPPENING!"

Lily's head shot up from her place in the kitchen, and she hurried into the living room, to see Sirius's head in the fire, talking earnestly to James, who was standing next to him.

"-and he's an absolute wreck – I had to help him Apparate Anna over – she was as calm as ever. Gwen's there now, waiting, so come on!"

"Wait!" Lily cried, unconsciously putting a hand to her stomach. "How is she?!"

Sirius's face softened when he saw her – The Baby, as they had started calling the child growing within her – had really hit his heart. "She's fine." He turned to look up at James. "You should take better care of Lily – she's straining herself!"

James hid a smile, knowing that Sirius was, well, serious. "I am, Sirius. Now get out of my fireplace."

Sirius looked at him suspiciously. "You're not Flooing, are you?"

James sighed exasperatedly and Lily turned away, grinning in amusement, and went to the cloak closet in the front hall. 

"No, Sirius, we're not. I care about The Baby almost as much as you do." James's voice was ladled with sarcasm. 

A small snort of laughter issued from Lily – she was happy she was in another room, otherwise Sirius would have given her a stern lecture. 

"Good, beca-"

"Sirius, _I know. Now get your arse out of my bloody fireplace."_

"Fine," Sirius said huffily, and Lily heard a small pop, signaling he was gone. James burst out laughing and walked into the foyer, and Lily handed him his coat, grinning. They exchanged a warm, happy glance – right now was more normal than they had been in a while together. Lily had been going to visit Remus regularly, and she didn't know it, but she really was saving his life. James and Sirius tried to overlook it, and Gwen fretted about it, but no one tried to stop her.

"Let's go, before I die," she said urgently, pulling his arm as he tried to put his coat on. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

She flung open the door and hugged herself against the sudden cold, ever mindful of the small inflation of her stomach – she was almost exactly two months pregnant, and out of the uncertain time zone, which The Baby had survived healthily.

James started to pull out his wand, but Lily grabbed his hand and they were gone in seconds.   

They arrived in the lobby in St. Mungo's, and went up to the receptionist. 

"Excuse me," Lily asked earnestly, and the lady looked up attentively. "What room is Mrs. Anna Longbottom in, please?"

"Only husbands are allowed in while she's delivering, ma'am."

"Yes, but which room, just so I know?"

"She's up on the second floor, if you must know."

Lily didn't stop to glare at her tone, but instead took off towards the stairs and nearly sprinted up them, with James calling for her to "slow down and stop bloody straining herself". It made her feel quite warm inside for some reason.

She entered the lobby, where a nice fire was burning in the grate in the corner, and Sirius stood up immediately, followed by Gwen. James came up behind Lily, and all four began talking at once.

"Wait, wait!" Lily cried, putting her hands up. For The Baby's sake, they stopped talking. "Where is she now?"

"In labor, Lily."

"Alright, for how long?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"They're actually delivering the baby right now?"

"Yeah, I think."

Lily looked around the room, trying to regulate her breathing. Two stern people were sitting in the corner – Frank's parents. "What should we do?"

"There's nothing to do except wait," Gwen said hesitantly. She looked pleadingly at Lily. 

"Let's go to the loo, Gwen, want to?"

"I would love to," Gwen said, the relief in her voice evident. Together they walked out of the small waiting room, with Sirius calling after them, "It's not still second year! You _can go to the loo alone, you know!"_

Gwen stopped and flashed a rude finger at him and then whipped back around. Lily was smiling, and Sirius called after them, "I love you too, Gwen!" perfectly seriously.

She called, "I love you more, Sirius!"

"No, I don't think so."

Gwen stuck her tongue out at him before looking apologetically back at Lily, her happy expression becoming slightly miserable. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine." Lily couldn't walk anymore, and they were out of sight, so she slid down to the floor and propped up against the wall. Gwen copied her, looking intently at her. 

"We should talk."

"Yes, we should."

"Right, I'll start. No matter what you believe, I don't think Remus is evil. I'm just – just undecided, that's all."

Lily had a nasty remark to shoot back at her, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Remus was her tender point right now. 

"And – well, I miss talking to you," she continued. "You're my best friend, Lily, and always will be."

Lily smiled at her, and they hugged tightly for a few minutes. "I missed you too."

When they pulled back Gwen was sniffling. "What's wrong, Gwen?"

Gwen looked up at the ceiling, blinking furiously. "I don't know – nothing, I suppose. I just…I miss them. I miss them so much it hurts, Lily. And Sirius – Sirius…"

Lily felt tears welling up in her own eyes. She was talking about her parents, of course. "You really should talk to Remus about your mum and dad, Gwen. He lost a parent too, remember?"  Gwen nodded, but said nothing, swiping at her eyes. "And what's this about Sirius?"

Gwen closed her eyes briefly. "I love him, Lily."

"Yes, I know," Lily said curiously, looking at her.

"And he loves me," she continued. 

"Yes…"

"What the bloody fuck is wrong with him, then?!" Gwen exploded. "We've been in love forever, it seems, and…And we're no less then you and James…"

Lily was thoroughly puzzled. "And?" she prompted.

"Well, why – why hasn't he asked me to m-marry him yet?" 

Lily swallowed a gasp at Gwen's plaintive, heart-wrenching tone. "Oh, Gwen," she sighed, and hugged her tightly while Gwen cried huge, quiet sobs. "Please, please, always come to me – you've bottled this up for much too long."

"Promise me you'll always be here, and I'll always come to you, Lily."

"I swear on my child's life, I will _always_ be here." 

~*~*~*~*

News came to them later that night – Anna delivered a beautiful, healthy boy to be named after her deceased brother, Neville. 

Later the next day, when the nurse said Anna was awake, Gwen, Sirius, James, and Lily walked quietly into her room. She was holding a sleeping, peaceful Neville. All of them quietly oohed and aahed over the baby, and Lily put a hand to her stomach: she would be in the same position, if all went well, in only seven months…

Tentatively James rested his hand on her side. She looked up at him – he was staring at her intensely, a question in his eyes. She took her hand off her stomach and threaded her fingers through his, and leaned against his side. He exhaled and put his lips on top of her head, holding her tightly. 

"I love you," he murmured, and everything between them suddenly was quite fine.

~*~*~*~*

"Waffles."

James looked up from the _Daily Prophet at his wife – she was looking a little worse for wear (and rather scary in his opinion), in one of his big tee-shirts, her stomach sticking out, all of her seven months showing plainly, standing in the doorway. Her dark red hair was sleep-tousled, and her eyes were puffy. _

"What, love?"

"Waffles, James, I want waffles. Waffles and fettuccini alfredo."

James stifled a laugh. "I don't think we have any, darling."

"Why?"

"Er-"

"James, I think I'll go for a walk."

He raised his eyebrows briefly in shock – she had switched gears so quickly his head was spinning – but before he could question her further, she was climbing back up the stairs.   

She dressed quickly, feeling extremely puffy and fat, and then picked up some Muggle money she kept for emergencies, and was out the door before James could stop her. 

She Apparated directly behind a random grocer, and calmly walked inside, patting her hair down. She politely told the sales woman how far along she was, and then took a basket and set off among the isles. 

She was heading towards the pasta isle when something caught her nostrils – fruit! Why did she want something heavy like waffles when she could just have fruit? Lily marveled at herself as she made her way over to the arranged fruit, humming a mindless tune. She stopped right above a display, closer than she should have probably been for fear of knocking the display down. Lily turned around trying to find the oranges, and accidentally knocked a pear off the fruit display. She cursed, a bit more violently than she should have, and bent over with difficulty. When she stood back up, she promptly dropped the piece of fruit again. 

"Petunia?" she cried, her mouth open. A very pregnant blonde was standing on the other side of the fruit display, examining a peach, which she also dropped upon seeing Lily.

"You!" she hissed, and Lily caught a feeling of déjà vu immediately. 

She forced a smile, however. "I take it things are going well with you and Vlendon?" she said, looking pointedly at Petunia's very round tummy.

"Vernon," the older of the two women said between her large, clenched teeth. She looked around quickly, as if seeing if anyone was eavesdropping. "And yes," she said, so quietly Lily had to lean in to hear, "I am expecting."

"That's wonderful," Lily said, forcing another smile. "Do you know what its gender is?"

"Yes," she sniffed. "A boy. He's going to be named Dudley."

Lily bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Who named their child Dudley?

Mrs. Vernon Dursley was looking her younger sister over warily. She spotted the bulge in Lily's stomach and smirked. "I do hope you haven't been gaining weight, dear."

"No," Lily said, clenching her own teeth now and putting her hands on her stomach protectively. "I'm expecting as well."

"How very touching. Married that man, did you?"

"Yes," Lily spat. "And as I recall, you didn't R.S.V.P."

"We were out," she sniffed. "I didn't think there would be a wedding anyway."

"And why not?"

Petunia smiled malevolently. "I thought that anyone who knew of your past would surely be scared away. Or does this Potter not know?"

"What are you talking about?" Lily said, her tone dangerous.

"As if you don't know."

Lily's eyes flashed. "Explain what you're on about, Petunia," she warned.

"No need to get touchy." Petunia said coldly. "I was simply wondering how anyone in their right minds could love you if they knew you killed your own mother."

Lily's jaw dropped, her head spinning from the sudden thoughts that emerged for the first time in a few years. "Petunia, I didn't kill her, and you know it."

Petunia raised her eyes, a skeptical look coming over her bony face. "Didn't you? Your hands will always be stained with her blood, Lily. I do hope your baby doesn't take it into its head to do to its mother what you did to your own."

And she was gone, leaving her stunned sister in her wake.

The stun soon gave way to sorrow, and Lily sat down right where she was, not caring that people were sending her strange looks. Once she had collected herself, she Apparated back home right under the fruit display (once again not caring that she was breaking one of the most important wizarding laws) and appeared in the same position right in front of the house in Godric's hollow.

She heard happy shouts, and turned to look at the house next to them. Two young children were playing Quidditch on toy brooms, trying to knock each other off. 

As Lily stared, her vision became blurry and she began to think, began to let her sister poison her mind. She would survive giving labor to this child, she knew it – she had to. The Advisor wouldn't go down from childbirth, would she? That would – would be completely unacceptable.

Once she had mostly got rid of those ugly thoughts, they turned to another part of Petunia's rant – _Your hands will always be stained with her blood, Lily…_

Unwillingly she looked down at her hands through the tears in her eyes, turning them over slowly. They were spotless…in a sense. Suddenly, images began flashing through her head – Mary Katherine dying, all the innocent people that had died because Lily had been at a certain place…

"Lily? What are you doing?"

"I killed her – them."

James crouched beside her, a chill running over him uncomfortably. "What?"

She was staring down at her hands. "I killed her – my mother. Mary Katherine. And a load of other people I never met."

"Lily, what happened at the store?" James asked urgently, taking her hands. She jerked them away and wrung them hard, biting her cheek.

"I – I saw someone."

"Oh God."

"I saw my sister."

James squeezed his eyes shut and sat down all the way. Lily turned to him, her eyes full of tears. They looked at each other for a moment, and then her expression changed to one of curiosity. 

"You knew about my mother, didn't you?"

"I know some things."

"When I was born, she died."

"I did know that, yes."

"Why did you marry me?"

"What the hell did Petunia say to you?" James asked, feeling anger rising in him. 

"Please, just answer me."

"Lily, you know why I married you!" James exclaimed incredulously. "I couldn't list all the reasons! I love you, for starts. I couldn't imagine spending my life without you. You're the other half to my soul. I love you more than anyone and anything…"

"You knew about my mother, and about Mary Katherine and all those people, though," she whispered, looking down again. "And you still married me, even though my hands…"

"What about your hands?" he asked, leaning forward, thinking about everything he would inflict upon Petunia once he got hold of her.

"They're stained." She held them up, looking at him hopelessly.

They didn't have a spot of dirt on them, but James wasn't made Head Boy for nothing. "Lily…"

She closed her eyes and lowered her hands. "Let's just not talk about this, please."

~*~*~*~*

When she began her eighth month of pregnancy, she was no longer allowed to Apparate, and therefore spent most of her days waddling around the house. She had a lovely baby shower thrown, and it had been wonderful, all the new gifts for The Baby – except maybe the present from Sirius.

She knew what it was the moment she saw the long, thin package.

"Sirius," she warned, but took it anyway with a slow smile. She unwrapped it, revealing a toy broomstick. 

"He's going to be a Quidditch player, Lils, you know it."

"Of course," James said instantly, taking the broom and looking it over, "How could he not be?"

"Oh, you two! It might be a girl, you know!"

"So, look at you and Gwen? You're girls, and damn good Quidditch players...Not as good as we are, of course, but still..."

"Jeez, Sirius, you're making me blush."

"I don't like your tone, Gwen."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Hmm-"

"Sirius!"

"Mmmh?"

"No snogging Gwen at my shower, please."

"Yeah, get a room."

"You two are no fun anymore."

~*~*~*~* 

"James?"

"Yes, love?"

Lily was silent for a moment, staring up at the dark ceiling, her hand on her bulging stomach. 

"The Baby's hiccoughing, I think."

James rolled over and pressed his hand near hers. Lily watched his face as he felt his child bouncing slightly inside. She studied his face, watching the sheer joy on it.

"James?" He lifted his eyes to hers. "I – I don't think I want The Baby to leave."

His eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she began, feeling her stomach again, struggling to put her emotions in words, "I don't want it to leave…I want it to stay with me."

James' face softened, and he kissed her stomach. "You have to let it out, because no one else will be able to enjoy it if you don't."

"I just – I have a bad feeling…A foreboding."

He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "It's normal, Lily – you don't want it to leave the safety of your womb, and that's it – nothing bad is going to happen to it, I promise."

Lily didn't reply, looking him in the eyes, still worried. "What are we naming it, again?" James asked gently, wanting to replace to the worry.

"Harry, of course, if it's a boy…If it's a girl, I still like Morgan. We talked about this before we got married, do you remember?"

"Vaguely," he replied, kissing the hand he held. "I'm falling asleep, darling."

"Mmmh," she said, her own eyes falling shut. "Night Jamie."

"Night Lils."

~*~*~*~*

July rolled around finally, and at around noon on the fifteenth, Lily doubled over in pain – a searing knife was poking her abdomen.

Gwen leapt up from the table, nearly spilling her tea – the two had been having a girl chat – and started breathing heavily. "Lils?! Lily! What's wrong?! TALK TO ME!"

"Hospital," Lily managed to gasp out, trying to straighten up.

"Right! Hospital, hospital – OH! HOSPITAL!" 

Gwen did what she was supposed to do - ran into the family room and grabbed the instant Portkey (a teething ring), that, once it touched a pregnant woman's hand, would take her right to St. Mungo's – it was given to all their pregnant patients. 

"Lily, give me your hand – good – _touch the key_!"

She did so, and a second later they were whirring backwards, and landed gently (they were better quality Portkey's than the standard ones) in the waiting room at the hospital. 

"Ah – excuse me, my best friend is having a _baby_!"

The woman behind the desk nodded and said something into her wand as Gwen supported Lily, who just had another spasm of pain. She dimly noticed them putting her in a chair of some sort and wheeling her quickly down a hall, before she completely lost consciousness.

~*~*~*~*

The next time Lily opened her eyes, it was to a peculiar sight indeed. For one, it was the middle of the night in a hospital room that was decorated with get well cards, and for another, every friend she had seemed to be packed into the one room, all dead asleep. James was on the chair to her right, his hand holding hers; Sirius was on the chair to her left with Gwen on his lap, both tightly cuddled up; Remus was sleeping on an out-of-place but comfortable-looking couch; Peter was curled up on the floor; and Frank was also on the floor, next to a large basket, which Lily had a sneaking suspicion was little Neville. Lily was sure that this was a definite violation of a hospital rule, and could only guess that Anna was on duty.

The very next thing she noticed was she still had the extremely large bulge in her stomach, and for that she was thankful beyond words. 

Then she realized that she _really needed the loo._

And so, the very pregnant woman gently removed her hand from her husband's and heaved herself quietly out of bed and walked to the door, the cold floor making her feet smart. 

The hall was very brightly-lit, and so she quickly let herself out and closed the door silently. 

"Lily!" someone whispered with surprise and happiness, "you're awake!"

Lily turned and smiled at Anna, hugging her with difficulty. "Where's the loo? Come with me, I'm quite confused…"

Anna led her there and explained what had happened – The Baby decided he wanted to come early, but couldn't, and was kicking too hard, and the pain had been too much for Lily's petit build, and so she had fainted, but everything was very fine.

"I can't believe I thought it was the real thing," Lily said, shaking her head as she washed her hands.

"It very well _would have been the real thing if The Baby hadn't given up. Don't worry, Lily."_

"But everyone says that they _know_ when it's the real thing, not a false alarm, and I _definitely_ thought it was the real thing."

"And you will know when it is, I promise," Anna assured her as they left the bathroom. 

Lily was silent, her hands on her stomach protectively. Finally, she spoke. "How is it that no one's noticed the amount of people in my room?"

Anna grinned. "I have my ways, dear."

Lily smiled. "Thank you, then."

The next day, she left the hospital in very good spirits, no longer nervous at having a baby.

And so it happened that a little over a week later, she was in the same bed with a flat stomach, instead of a bulging one.

~*~*~*~*

Holding Harry for the first time was magic – magic that Lily had never experienced. This magic was completely new, completely pure – suddenly everything seemed so stupid to worry over…The only thing Lily cared about in that moment was what she was holding in her arms.

She touched her son's face, memorizing it. The nurse had said his eyes were green – she hadn't seen them, but felt a strange rush at everything else she could see. Harry's nose was a little button, his hair dark and thick already – James's, most definitely. Her heart felt as though it would burst. Tears came to her eyes and fell silently down her cheeks, and she smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you, Harry James," she whispered, "and I always, always will."

His eyes opened, and she was momentarily blinded, before a gasp left her breathless – his eyes were the exact same shape, size, and color as her own.

~*~*~*~*

The day came when Harry and Lily were allowed to leave the hospital, and Lily was trying to pack her bag, but at the same time, couldn't take her eyes off her son. Gwen was holding him, smiling down at him tenderly, and Sirius kept whining that it was his turn to hold Harry, but Gwen kept inventing reasons why she had to keep holding him.

James took her aside. "Lily, should we do it now? Name them his godparents?"

Lily thought for a moment, and nodded. "This is as good a time as any."

"Gwen, Sirius, can we talk?" James said. Both looked up at James and Lily instantly.

"We have something very special to tell you," Lily said, her eyes brimming (she had become quite sentimental over the past few days). "Well, to ask you, rather. Would – would you do us the honor of being Harry's godparents?"

Gwen's eyes widened and Sirius' jaw dropped. 

"This means that, if anything was to happen to Lily or I, you both would take over as his parents, and protect him, and love him like we couldn't," James said seriously, looking between the two.

A strange sound emitted from Gwen's mouth, and she burst into tears. "Of course, of course!"

Lily smiled brilliantly and went to hug her – even Sirius looked distinctly misty-eyed as Gwen handed Harry to him.

"You two have really lost it this time," he said in a strangely thick voice, looking down at Harry, "naming us his godparents…You might – might regret it."

"We most certainly won't, Sirius, we most certainly won't."

~*~*~*~*

Harry was a blessing, and was an absolute angel. He was everyone's relief, everyone's ray of sunshine in the dark times…Just a smile, a little, tinkling laugh made the hearts warm. And so, it wasn't strange that the Potter Mansion became a sort of haven for everyone – a haven that was interrupted one day, by a visitor that one wouldn't think would interrupt.

Gwen, Sirius, Lily, Remus, and James were gathered in the living room, playing with Harry, talking enjoyably and looking forward to a Halloween party to be thrown in a few days, when there came a knock at the door.

Out of habit, everyone froze for a moment, before James made a noise of recognition. "I know who it is – it's Dumbledore…I saw him at the Ministry a couple of days ago and he said he wanted to come by and discuss something with Lily and I."

He went to the front door, with Lily following, Harry in her arms. "Albus," James grinned as Dumbledore walked through the door and into the foyer. 

He was looking haggard, but he smiled instantly when his eyes fell upon Harry. "May I, Lily?"

"But of course, Albus," Lily said, smiling. She carefully handed Harry over to the old professor, who looked at him with delight, bouncing him slightly. 

"What a charming boy," he pronounced, but didn't part from the baby. 

Lily, hiding a smile, ushered him into the living room, where Gwen, Sirius, and Remus greeted him. "Now, unfortunately I must be the bearer of bad news," Dumbledore said heavily when the salutations were over. 

Lily's smile slipped. "Oh…"

Dumbledore handed little Harry to James and reached inside his cloak, pulling out two sheets of blindingly gold parchment, parchment that Lily recognized from years before – Will Parchment.

Lily's breathing became shallow. "Dumbledore…"

"Lily, James, we must do this. We cannot take any more chances – someone from our side has turned traitor, we are sure of it, and is passing information to Voldemort."

Harry cried out suddenly when his pacifier fell out of his strong grip, and Lily automatically reached down and picked it up, muttering a sterilizing spell before handing it back to her son. 

"Gwen, Remus, Sirius, would you all take young master Potter outside perhaps?"

"Not on the broom," Lily interjected, her eyes pinned on Dumbledore.

The four left silently, Harry making happy baby noises to Gwen, who had taken him from James. 

Dumbledore gestured to the couch. "May I?"

"Oh, of course," Lily said quickly, sinking down onto it herself. James sat beside her and took her hand.

"Lily and James, you both are incredibly important to the wizarding world, you know that, and we must make sure this is over with in case anything was to happen to you."

Numbly Lily and James set to work drawing up the wills, thinking about their son.

~*~*~*~*

Remus held the door open and Gwen stepped outside, squinting in the sun. "So, what should we do?"

"I dunno," Sirius said, sulking – he hated that Lily had remembered to set the broom off limits. "We need to teach Harry to fly, but obviously that's not happening."

"Sirius?

"Yeah?"

"He's three months old."

"And your point is, Moony?"

Gwen slapped him on the back of the head and surveyed the yard. It was mostly enclosed and grassy, with the Quidditch pitch to the right. "We could always go and _sit on the bleachers," she said finally. "Lily certainly won't mind that."_

"Yeah, but if she does, it's all your fault," Sirius said, forcing Gwen to slap him again. He caught her hand and they looked at each other, the amusement and annoyance sliding from their faces as they spoke without words. Remus shook his head, smiling, and was about to take Harry from Gwen when the baby caught a large bit of her coal-black hair and yanked. 

"Damn! _Shit!"_

Sirius collapsed into laughter and Remus took Harry with amusement and horror. "Gwen, watch your mouth! Lily would murder us all if Harry's first word was shit!"

"Hahahahaaaa! You said it again!" Sirius cackled, doubling over.

Gwen gave up massaging her head and joined Sirius in complete and total amusement. "Your face!" she cried, holding her side. "You look like you've just killed someone!"

Remus put his hand over Harry's small ear and bit back laughter, walking to the Quidditch bleachers. "I'm getting this innocent soul away from you both before you spoil him!" he yelled over his shoulder. He heard jumbled talking for a moment and then silence, and he didn't have to look to see that they were currently snogging, and he yelled, "I'll be over here, children-terrorists, if you all ever decide to separate."

"Moony, please go to he-"

"Sirius!" Gwen shrieked.

"Heck! I was going to say heck! Why are you-"

More silence. Remus sat down, laughing silently, and looked down at the bundle in his arms. Harry was wrapped up tightly in his thick wool blanket and long pants and long shirt, even though it wasn't that cold outside. Looking down at him, Remus felt a surge of happiness that he hadn't felt in a long time – too long. But of course, bad thoughts had to resurface, as they often did when he was by himself. If Mary Katherine was still alive, would Remus have a baby of his own?

No, he wasn't going to think about things like that.

He boosted Harry up further in his arms. Harry had a small crease in his smooth forehead where he was busily studying his pacifier, and Remus laughed slightly. Harry was always busy, looking at the things around him, taking in the world…Remus could feel that he would be quite powerful one day.  

The four whiled away the afternoon outside, transfiguring twigs into things to amuse Harry and cracking jokes at each other, all feeling more at ease than ever. But by about five, when they had completely run out of things to do, they began to get bored.

"That's taking a while, isn't it?" Gwen said, breaking a silence, nodding up at the house. 

Sirius nodded, making a stuffed ball (that had once been a rock) fly around Harry's head, teaching him Seeker, Chaser, and Keeper techniques. 

"It sometimes does," Remus said, looking at her. She was pulling tufts of grass out of the ground absently.

"Why don't we take him to eat or something?" she suggested.

"Hmm…Doesn't he only eat certain things, though? Hey, there's Lily."

They stood, Sirius picking Harry up, as Lily walked slowly down the slight hill to the pitch, her hand over her eyes to block the sun, her dark red hair shimmering in the setting sun.

"Why don't you bring Harry back up to the house?" she called tiredly. "It's about his dinner time."

They walked up the hill to join her, and noticed with alarm her tired face. She gave them a wan smile that became prettier when she looked at Harry and took him from Sirius. "How was your afternoon?"

"It was fun," Remus said, and the others agreed.

"And _no, Lily, we didn't get him on a broom."_

Lily smiled at him, whacking his shoulder playfully. "You're making me feel bad. I promise, when he's old enough to stay on a broom, I'll let you teach him."

"Yeah, that'll be in like five years," Sirius grumbled. Gwen, on his other side, whacked him on the back of the head. "Christ! What is this, hit Sirius day?"

"Are you finished with everything, Lily?" Gwen asked, ignoring Sirius.

"Nearly," she said, her voice becoming tired again. "James and Dumbledore are settling the property and the money in our vault. It'll go to Harry, of course."

Everyone was quiet, knowing in the back of their minds what this meant.

"What do you want for dinner tonight, my little one? Mashed carrots or squash? Mmmh, carrots, I think, and then some nice bananas for desert…How's that, love?"

~*~*~*~*

"I am afraid I have horrible news, Mrs. Potter," Mr. Crouch said, shaking his head. 

"Yes? What is it?" Lily said, her heart beating quickly.

"A student has been taken from Hogwarts."

"_What?"_

"A student has been taken from the school that possesses a slight talent in Divination. She was lured out of the school and then taken."

"My God," Lily gasped, putting a hand to her heart. "And you think she was taken by Death Eaters?"

"Yes, we are nearly positive."

"What is her name?"

"Trelawney. Sybill Trelawney."

~*~*~*~*

James looked down at his mug, slowly turning it around in his hands. Lily looked at him curiously, noticing the odd expression on his face. "James? Is everything alright?"

He sighed and looked up again. "Lily…I went to Dumbledore today."

"Did you?" Lily was starting to feel anxious.

"Yes. His spies…His spies tell him that Voldemort knows about us – about Harry."

Lily nodded, not quite understanding why he was so uptight. "Is that all?"

"Dumbledore's spies…Oh, Lily…" He got off his chair and went around to stand with her. "The girl Voldemort took – he took her for a reason."

"Because she has the Sight, right?"

"Yes – and she – she went into a trance when Voldemort gave her a special drink, and spoke in an odd voice, saying basically that – that one day our child would – would be his downfall."

Lily was speechless, her mouth partway open in shock. 

James began to speak again, pacing around the kitchen. "We aren't safe, Lily, we aren't safe anymore. We can't leave the house. Harry can't especially."

"Harry," Lily croaked, her voice temporarily back, her motherly instincts flaring up wildly. "What can we do to protect Harry?" Her mind frantically wandered up to the nursery, where her son – just turned a year old - was sleeping peacefully. 

James pressed his lips together. "The Fidelius Charm."

Lily inhaled sharply, her mind whirling. She thought it over quickly – having someone hold their secret inside so no one would be able to find them? Who would they entrust it to? Well, she knew a lot of people who would keep their place hidden, but…

"It's terribly complex," she managed finally. 

"It's our only hope."

~*~*~*~*

"Tea, then?" 

Sirius closed his eyes shakily. "No, I think I'm just going to go home."

Lily looked down, and squeezed his hand. "You can't – you will never know how much this…this means to us."

Sirius looked at James and Lily square in the eyes, looking more solemn and subdued than Lily had ever seen him. "I know." The corners of his mouth lifted up in a slight smile. "I'll see you two later." He walked out of the door and shut it quietly behind him. 

James and Lily stood almost helplessly in the foyer, staring at the door through which Sirius had just passed. A wail from Lily's wand brought the two immediately to attention. They had charmed it so whenever Harry made a noise they would hear him through their wands, and would know to go tend to him.

"I'll go," Lily said, rubbing her eyes. "He's probably just lost his dragon or something."

"Lily, go to bed," James ordered, looking at her levelly. "I'll take care of Harry."

Lily relaxed slightly and kissed him. "I love you. I'll probably be asleep by the time you get back."

James attempted a smile. "Sweet dreams, darling."

Lily walked slowly through the house into the master bedroom, feeling as though she was dreaming, or not quite there. What they had done that night by performing the Fidelius Charm was throwing everything out into the open, in an ironic sense – by doing so, they could no longer deny they were in danger. 

Lily thought back on her teary goodbye with Gwen, Remus, Dumbledore, and Peter. She and James had had to say goodbye to them all because now she and James were in hiding, and only Sirius knew where they were. Of course, they were still in the same house in Godric's Hollow, but no one would know they were there. It was the complications of the charm, but completely necessary. To everyone but Sirius, who was their Secret-Keeper, they had disappeared. Even Dumbledore, who had performed the charm, didn't know their whereabouts.

Thinking about Dumbledore led to more disturbing thoughts. There had been an urgency in his eyes when he had offered to be their Secret-Keeper, but James hadn't seen it and had been adamant about Sirius. Lily was completely behind Sirius as well, but it had struck her slightly off-balance that Dumbledore had questioned (however slightly) that Sirius wasn't a good person to ask…

She shook her head. They were going to make it through this, no matter what. She refused to believe that today was the last day she'd see Gwen or Remus or Peter or Dumbledore. They would make it.

~*~*~*~*

Sirius knocked on the back door of the Potter Mansion, and looked around nervously, shivering, and it wasn't because he was cold. It was because of what he was about to do.

James opened the door, and stepped aside quickly to let Sirius in. James caught sight of his best friend's face and blinked behind his glasses. "Sirius? What's happened?"

Sirius took a breath. "James, I have to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"The charm. I shouldn't be your Secret-Keeper."

James looked at him with incredulously. "Sirius, you've been our Keeper for not even a day. What's wrong?"

"It shouldn't be me. I'm too obvious." James was confused now. Sirius began to pace the hallway. "Don't you see, James? Voldemort knows I'm your best friend, and his inner spy told him we'd done the Fidelius Charm. Not that I would give it away, but he'll come straight for me, James."

"Sirius, I trust you."

"I know, James, but think – wouldn't it be more likely to choose someone who Voldemort doesn't even know exists, that you trust too?"

"Like…?"

"Peter."

~*~*~*~*

"Happy Halloween, Harry!" Lily cried, kissing him on his plump cheek. "Mummy and Daddy love you so much, darling! Jamie, can you believe this is our baby's _second Halloween?"_

James smiled. "It seems like just yesterday you were in the hospital having him."

"Oh, time flies, doesn't it?"

The two stood smiling at their baby in perfect and complete happiness. He was sitting in a highchair that Lily had just put him in, with his parents across from him. He let out a delighted giggle.

Something shattered the moment quite suddenly, the crash of a door being blasted away. Lily's heart stood still, and she froze.

"It's him," James whispered, his hand closing around her wrist. "It's him! Lily, take Harry and go! I'll hold him off!"

"But James-"

"Go!"

Things seemed to happen quickly from then. Lily grabbed Harry and made for the other kitchen door that led to the upstairs. She looked over her shoulder to see James in what she was aware could quite possibly be the last time – he had opened the kitchen door and his wand was ready. Lily stumbled from the room, suddenly aware that her cheeks were wet. She raced upstairs, trying to block out the conversation below her, but to no avail. 

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

~*~*~*~*

*Breathes* 

Wow. It's…finished. Done. The Epilogue is already completed too – SoL has been written.

It could not have been written, however, if not for Lily and Reine and Xavi and Elle, and, of course, my readers. I love you *all* and thank you so much for giving me support. Did you know that I've only gotten *one* flame? And it might not even classify as a flame, it was just a person who was _extremely_ mad about me killing Violet and Orion. Anyway, the point is, your reviews and everlasting support really got me through this, even when I didn't update for months… You all seriously are my heroes. I don't know how to thank you all – if you ever need any support, please email me – it's the least I can do for you all.

Cheers,

Bella


	23. Epilogue: And So Ends the Story of Lily

**The Story of Lily**

****

Epilogue: And So Ends the Story of Lily

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_Lily stopped at the top of the stairs, struggling for breath. Her life, her world, her soul…He was gone…James…gone…Peter…Peter had told, it had been Peter… James…dead…_

_A wail brought her somewhat back to the present, and she focused on the bundle in her arms: Harry. _

_Save Harry._

_But oh, how could she? Lily raced through the top floor, hearing steps behind her all the while. She could hide him, couldn't she? Just stow him somewhere?_

_No, no, she shook her head. No, that would never work…_

_Lily wasn't watching where she was heading, and found herself in Harry's room. What could she do? He was coming, she could hear him – Voldemort was coming…Dumbledore wasn't there to save them…Oh, this was hopeless, he was going to kill her baby…_

_Her breathing stopped when Voldemort entered the room, smiling malevolently. She put Harry down on the windowsill behind them and blocked him completely with her body. Panic was coursing through her veins…She didn't have her wand, and knew she wasn't powerful enough to take Voldemort on without it…"Oh, help, help, someone!"_

_"Stand aside, girl," Voldemort demanded, pointing his wand straight at her chest and gesturing for her to move. _

_"No! Kill me instead! Please, not Harry!"_

_"Stand aside!"_

_"No, please, take me instead!"_

_"Stand aside, you silly girl!"_

_"No! I beg of you!"_

_"Stand aside!"_

_"Have mercy, have mercy!"_

_Harry's going to die…_

_"He will not," a voice whispered. It was faint and feminine. "He shall live."_

_Lily didn't know who said that, but she suddenly felt assured. A vision came to her just then, that lasted only a second – _

A boy, standing over a pile of ashes, panting. The boy turned to face her – she knew it was Harry, and, inexplicably, she knew the pile of ashes was Voldemort. The light would prevail in the end – _Harry_ would prevail.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_She knew that even if she wasn't there to help her boy, she would always be with him, and would always love him. She collapsed when the curse hit her, lifeless._

_And so ends the story of Lily._


End file.
